INDIANAPOLIS — The end is in sight for a construction project that's taken far longer than expected on the city's west side.
The West Washington Street bridge over Little Eagle Creek is expected to reopen on Tuesday. DPW said the project took longer than it hoped, but it ensures the safety of commuters for decades.
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"When the bridge closed, it was, it felt really hopeless," said Theresa Krier, co-owner of Joe's Auto Sales.
The construction zone was just feet from the car lot.
"Our sales have definitely declined. A lot of our local business neighbors have gone out of business," said Krier.
The historic bridge, built in 1916, closed in early 2024 as a rehabilitation project. Original plans called for it to be repaired by the end of August 2024. However, Indy DPW determined the bridge was in worse condition than expected and that it needed to be rebuilt.
On Friday, the city held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate its reopening.
"It's been a long time coming, almost two years now," said Todd Wilson, Director of the Department of Public Works.
DPW said the $7.4 million project improves a major thoroughfare within Indy.
"If you want to get to the airport, or you want to get to Plainfield, if you want to get to downtown, if you're going to the east side," said Councilor Jared Evans.
Councilor Jared Evans says detours have been a headache.
"We understand the frustrations that people have. I go through what usually is a 15-20 minute commute to get downtown, and to work has become a 45-minute commute for me," said Evans.
Concerned about slower emergency response times and commutes, Krier started a petition that 4,000 people signed. They asked for the bridge to be reopened sooner, which caught the eyes of City-County councilors Kristin Jones and Jared Evans.
"We leaped over several projects to get this done sooner than others, so thank you to the workers," said Evans.
DPW said there still will be some minor construction in the area.
Next year, DPW will work on Washington Street between Lynhurst and Holt Road.
Krier is happy the bridge is reopening. In the meantime, she is worried about the blue line construction.
"We are trying to weather the next few years. Having traffic open is the key piece. We can't handle any more road closures," she said.
DPW said, "The work is part of a coordinated push by agencies to make enhancements and improvements along stretches of Washington Street across the entire city."
In addition to this project, Indy DPW will begin work on Washington Street between Lynhurst Drive and Holt Road in 2026 to improve streets, sidewalks, curbs, traffic signals and drainage.
After the bridge opens to traffic, minor construction activity will still take place in the project vicinity in the preceding days.
