CARMEL — As construction continues throughout Carmel, residents in a north side Indianapolis neighborhood are raising concerns about the impact on their community.
Matthew Winston, president of the Northside Community Council and the neighborhood association, says traffic congestion, road damage and safety worries have become everyday issues.
The neighborhood, which spans from Pennsylvania to College Avenue and from 91st to 96th Street, has become a popular detour for drivers trying to avoid construction-related closures.
According to Winston, the worst impact has been felt by residents near College Avenue, Broadway Central, and 95th Street.
“We’ve had people speeding through and heavy trucks like semis and dump trucks using roads that weren’t built for that kind of traffic,” Winston said. “They’ve even gone off the road and left ruts in some lawns.”
In response, City-County Councilor Brianne Delaney coordinated with the Department of Public Works to install temporary speed bumps.
However, Winston says the bumps don’t stretch across the entire road, and some drivers attempt to avoid them by driving onto lawns or shoulders.
More closures are expected Tuesday, including both eastbound and westbound lanes of the 96th Street bridge over I-465. These will occur overnight, but residents say that even nighttime closures have a noticeable effect.
“One of our neighbors said that at 10 p.m., a time that used to be really quiet, she saw eight to ten cars already cutting through,” Winston said.
As part of the ongoing work, pedestrian safety improvements are also being made on the bridge at 96th Street, including higher guardrails.
Avid bikers in the Carmel area say this is a positive and something they are looking forward to.
The initial disruptions began in March with utility relocation at 96th and College.
“We’re just at the beginning of it,” Winston said. “It’s not going to be over any time soon.”
For more information about the 96th Street bridge project and lane closures, click HERE.
