FISHERS — A major road closure is coming to Hamilton County as the City of Fishers prepares to complete construction on the 96th Street bridge for the Nickel Plate Trail.
Starting at 9 p.m. Friday, 96th Street will close near the Nickel Plate Trail to finish work on the bridge that will connect the trail system from Fishers to Indianapolis. The closure is expected to last one week, weather permitting.
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The closure has drivers and local businesses bracing for impact. Currently, the road has been reduced to one lane during construction, causing delays for commuters.
"I don't know if you get a whole lot worse, honestly. You know, we've had like one lane for a while," one driver said.
Local businesses are particularly concerned about the timing and potential impact on customers.
"Most people who come from out of town don't know about the road closures. So to me, it will definitely make an impact on us," said Andy Albert, owner of Indy Card Exchange.
Albert expressed additional concern about the closure extending into the holiday shopping season.
"I just hope it doesn't go into Thanksgiving because our Black Friday is our biggest day of the year," Albert said.
The city has established a detour route that directs traffic north on Hague Road to 106th Street, then south to Masters Road or Allisonville. Testing the detour route showed it takes around nine minutes to travel from one side of the bridge to the other.
City officials remain optimistic about the timeline for completion.
"As long as the weather holds, you know, we're pretty confident we can complete this in just one week," Ashley Elrod, a spokesperson for the City of Fishers, said.
For drivers who regularly use the route, the closure represents a significant inconvenience.
"I'm here like all the time, so it'll definitely inconvenience me," one frequent driver said.
The 96th Street closure begins Friday at 9 p.m. Drivers are advised to use the route before then or plan for the detour.
More details on the bridge project and upcoming closure are available on the city's website.
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
