HAMILTON COUNTY — A Hamilton County family business could lose its main access point as the Indiana Department of Transportation prepares for major safety upgrades along U.S. 31.
Wilson Farm Market, a fixture near 256th Street, sits just off the highway.
INDOT plans to build new interchanges at 236th Street and 276th Street to reduce crashes on the busy corridor. The project will eliminate direct access from several smaller intersections, including 246th, 256th and 266th streets.
“It shook out that, 'Hey, they're going to close our road,'” Owner Scott Wilson said.
Jordan Yaney, a spokesperson for INDOT, said the decision came down to cost and safety.
“It's about $10 million for an overpass, and it's about $50 million for a full interchange,” Yaney said. *“So it's just not feasible to put a full interchange at every single intersection on 31 in that stretch.”
Wilson said his biggest concern is not his business, but public safety.
“It was never actually about the business — everything from field fires to ambulance runs,” Wilson said. “To have something bad happen, you know, it's a big deal if it matters.”
Jackson Township Fire Chief James Carter said his department has been preparing for the change.
“So it obviously creates some struggles, but we've known this for a long time that it was coming,” Carter said.
“It gives us the chance to make sure that we make the adjustments necessary. We have units from Noblesville that sometimes are quicker, even into areas that are not affected. And those units are on the run with our trucks.”
Yaney said INDOT’s goal is to improve safety despite the disruptions.
“We want to have the least amount of disruption, but our number one priority is always going to be safety,” Yaney said.
“This is just a corridor where we're seeing too many crashes for the current configuration, so we had to do something.”
Wilson said he plans to keep the market open during and after construction, but worries about the longer routes emergency responders will face.
“I understand building is expensive. But at what cost is it coming?” Wilson said.
256th Street will close off access to US 31 starting in 2026.
