ZIONSVILLE — The Main Street Momentum Project aims to improve safety on and around Main Street in Zionsville, including reducing traffic congestion at one of the town's busiest intersections.
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First Street and Main Street are popular destinations in Zionsville, with local businesses drawing people who walk, bike and drive to the area.
Mayor John Stehr said the project is about keeping downtown accessible while preserving what makes it special.
"When you look at downtown Zionsville, it's special, it's unique. We want to preserve it," Stehr said. "Now there are two ways to preserve it: you put a glass bubble over it, and you don't let anybody touch it like it's in a museum, or you allow people to come in and use it and appreciate it. We are choosing to allow more people to come in and use it and appreciate it."
One of the key upgrades is a peanut roundabout that will connect First Street and Sycamore, an intersection where the mayor says traffic backs up throughout the day.
"Traffic lights really aren't the way to handle traffic anymore. Square intersections really don't work very well," Stehr said. "We have progressed beyond that, and I think engineering has gotten better."
The plan also adds several crosswalks and converts 1st and 2nd Streets into one-way streets past Oak Street.
But some business owners along Main Street are worried the changes could bring more cars through the area at the expense of foot traffic.
"The idea is to make sure traffic is flowing as efficiently as possible. And I look at Zionsville being more of a destination than a flow through," Wendi Louks, owner of Blooms by Dragonfly, said. "So I don't want them to get by really quickly. I want them to stop in, and I want them to shop and see us, too."
Other shop owners are raising concerns about safety once construction begins.
"With any big change like this, there can sometimes be unintended consequences, specifically related to safety, is my concern," Erica Carpenter, owner of Five Thirty Home, said.
While business owners acknowledge the changes are needed, they hope they are not negatively impacted once construction gets underway in early 2027.
The Main Street Momentum Project is being funded through a combination of grant funding and dedicated local funding sources. The town received $4 million in READI 2.0 funding. Zionsville is also committing $1.5 million from its general fund, $2.5 million from tax increment financing funds from the Zionsville Economic Development Area, and $2 million from the Road Impact Fee Fund. For more information about the project and regular updates, click here.
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