IndyGo reconstructing Red Line less than 3 years after original construction

INDIANAPOLIS — Less than three years after project completion, IndyGo says they are ripping up existing pavement at Red Line stations and doing it all over.

It's all part of the "Red Line Enhancement Project" which IndyGo said will cost them $5.1 million.

IndyGo says the upgrades will give additional long-term stability and protect the investment made.

IndyGo blames wear and tear on the weight of the 60-foot electric buses running repeatedly over the same routes seven days a week.

"You'd think they would get their homework done before doing the job," Diedre Eltzroth said.

Eltzroth works downtown and says the construction of capital has been a big inconvenience.

"It'd be nice to see a finished product that lasts and serves the people of Indy," Eltzroth said.

A spokeswoman for IndyGo said, "DPW and IndyGo agreed on an acceptable thickness that at the time was expected to meet our needs."

The latest closure is the Red Line station along Meridian street at Fall Creek Parkway.

The closure is expected to last about three weeks and it will impact north and southbound traffic.

It is frustrating for folks who live in the area.

"As you can probably hear right now it's been a huge headache," said Xavier Madina. "Pulling up the road. Just kind of like having an old house and pulling up old carpet that shouldn't have been there in the first place."

Every Red Line bus stop on Capital Avenue will be improved and temporary bus stops have been created.

The project will include the addition of rub rails at the Red Line stations, improvements IndyGo says they have learned from the construction of the purple line.

The enhancements are being paid for by IndyGo through their general maintenance budget.

A budget that is approved by the city council.

Crews are breaking up the concrete to repair damaged pavement on bus lanes and station bus pads.

DPW says they recommended a thicker depth of asphalt pavement along the various streets than the design IndyGo ended up building. But in the end, they both came to an agreement on the depth at the time.

"I mean it's just always something. So this seems like something that could have been avoided which is unfortunate," Melissa Towbridge an Indianapolis resident said.

More on the Red Line enhancement project, here.