HOBART | Representatives of the proposed Silverstone development said a traffic impact study shows only marginal increases to traffic on Mississippi Street and 73rd Avenue.

After several months with no updates on the project, representatives of the 200-acre property off the northeast corner of Mississippi Street and U.S. 30 briefed the Plan Commission on their progress last week. They plan to present a more comprehensive plan for the parcel next month.

The development includes residential, commercial and retail space and would include an entertainment component accessible from U.S. 30. Residents who live in the area have expressed concern about the plan.

Paul Kneuppel, representing the project's developer, said a preliminary traffic impact study showed an average daily traffic flow of about 12,200 vehicles on Mississippi Street and about 8,000 on 73rd Avenue. In 2010, when the project is about 70 percent completed, Kneuppel said traffic counts indicated about 14,500 vehicles on Mississippi Street and about 8,800 on 73rd Avenue.

Those numbers would indicate the need for stop signs on 73rd Avenue where vehicles could enter and exit the complex, as well as an additional stoplight on Mississippi Street, he said.

The group continues to work on designing infrastructure and creating a drainage plan for the site. It has been working with Indiana American Water and the Merrillville Conservancy District.