All Roads (Seem To) Lead To Construction.
By: Betsy Reason
A “Road Closed” sign is posted on Eighth Street at Mulberry Street, just south of the Mill Top Banquet and Conference Center, during construction of the Reimagine Pleasant Street project that will improve east-west connectivity and accessibility in Noblesville.
It seems like everywhere we go, there is road construction in Noblesville, Fishers and Westfield.
Whenever I get ready to go anywhere lately, I make sure to map out our route ahead of time to avoid construction and save time.
For instance, when we go to Conner Prairie, we try to avoid the Allisonville Road and 146th Street intersection whenever possible, especially during rush hour, due to construction of a roundabout at the intersection. Instead, we travel Indiana 37 south to 141st Street west (temporarily right-in, right-out), to Allisonville Road, then south to the Fishers living history museum. But when we drive home from Conner Prairie, we trace our tracks east on 141st Street but turn north on Herriman Boulevard and head for Noblesville.
Not only have there been lane restrictions of Allisonville Road just south of 146th Street but watch for a two-night lane restriction for removal of reflective pavement markings on 146th Street, and a one-day lane restriction in the westbound lane on 146th Street between River Road and the White River, for the paving of the median.
In Noblesville, when I drive to Noblesville Wastewater to pay a monthly utility bill, I usually drive on Pleasant Street west, crossing over Eighth Street. But with the construction under way for the Pleasant Street Extension, drivers can no longer cross Eighth Street on Pleasant Street, which is closed beginning at 10th Street.
The City of Noblesville’s Reimagine Pleasant Street project will improve east-west connectivity and accessibility in Noblesville by building a bridge over the White River, connecting Pleasant Street from River Road to Ind. 32 and improving Pleasant Street from 10th Street to Ind. 37.
Drivers should avoid Eighth Street in that area pretty much south of the Mill Top Banquet & Conference Center. (By the way, whenever I pass through the 10th and Pleasant intersection, I wonder if folks are still craving the Dairy Queen cool treats, Firehouse Pizza and burritos from El Camino Real as much as I do.)
On the west side of Noblesville, just west of the White River, Indiana 32 has been under construction for a while now to construct two roundabouts, at Ind. 38 and at River Road. Traveling west, to get into the Culver’s Restaurant parking lot, or the Ace Hardware in the adjacent strip mall, we drive into the Riverview Health Emergency Entrance off of the new roundabout at Ind. 38 and drive to the back of the hospital parking lot and weave our way into the strip mall’s parking lot to get to Culver’s and Ace and other businesses there. And access to River Road, from Ind. 32, is only available as “right in, right out” on the southern leg of the road at the intersection.
Heading to Westfield earlier this week, I had forgotten that Ind. 32 was closed on the east side, heading into downtown Westfield, between Willow Creek Way and Grassy Branch Road, for crews to complete a box culvert. The work is expected to be completed by late August, according to the Hamilton County Highway Department. While the official detour is U.S. 31 to Ind. 38 to Little Chicago Road, we detoured south on Carey Road, west on 171st Street to Union Street, back to Ind. 32, to get around the construction.
Tired of all the construction? It’s not going to end anytime soon.
-Betsy Reason writes about people, places and things in Hamilton County. Contact The Times Editor Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com.