Michigan and New York conversion project hits home stretch
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Photo: Courtesy of the Indianapolis Department of Public Works
City officials say a nearly $20 million road construction project that has impacted near eastside traffic for more than a year is back on track and nearing completion.
Why it matters: The plan to convert Michigan and New York streets to two-way traffic between College Avenue and Ellenberger Park also includes improvements to make the area more pedestrian-friendly.
Driving the news: After a three-month winter break, crews resumed work on the east end of the project in mid-March.
The latest: Work during the first two weeks of April focused on the placement of new curb ramps and sidewalks at Emerson Avenue and New York Streets; the removal of Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive between New York and Emerson; and paving operations on Michigan Street.
- Indy DPW spokesperson Kyle Bloyd said the project is now targeting a midyear completion date.
- With cooperative weather, expect the cones to clear around late June.
Flashback: Included as part of Mayor Joe Hogsett's five-year $1.17 billion capital improvement plan, work on the conversion started last March to kick off a busy 2024 construction season in the Circle City.
- It was originally slated for completion by the end of 2024 before winter storms and declining temperatures altered the construction schedule.
Zoom in: According to Indy DPW, converting one-way roads to two-way roads leads to lower driving speeds because fewer adjacent lanes mean less opportunity to overtake other drivers.
- When work on the project began, Indy DPW director Brandon Herget said officials are "engineering ways to cut down on selfish, reckless driving in Indianapolis."
- It also includes improvements to existing infrastructure, crosswalk enhancements, street resurfacing, protected bike lanes and enhanced bus platforms.
Threat level: As nationwide pedestrian deaths decreased, Indiana was one of the few states to see the number of fatal incidents rise.
- A recent Governors Highway Safety Association preliminary report said there were 49 pedestrian deaths in Indiana in the first half of last year, a 26% increase from 2023.
- Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis, a group that tracks local pedestrian deaths, injuries and other safety incidents, recorded 41 deaths in the city last year.