Fishers Director of Engineering Hatem Mekky briefed the City Council Finance Committee on August 27 about upcoming projects as part of the city’s 2026 budget discussions. While reviewing road work, he described the 116th Street and Allisonville Road project only as an “improvement,” without offering specifics.

For more than a year, city officials had said the signalized intersection would be rebuilt as a roundabout. However, a report published Wednesday by the Indianapolis Star revealed that Fishers has dropped the roundabout plan in favor of extending turn lanes to ease rush-hour congestion.

IndyStar reporter John Tuohy quoted Fishers spokesperson Ashley Elrod, who said the city reassessed the project after recent experiences with the 96th Street and Allisonville roundabout, though she stopped short of directly linking the two.

In January 2023, the Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety authorized $413,000 for roundabout design work at 116th and Allisonville, and in March of this year accepted a $3.1 million construction bid. The city now says the project will be rebid with the new scope.

Elrod told LarryInFishers that a new traffic study concluded longer left-turn lanes, along with keeping the existing signalized system, would better address congestion. She also noted the change avoids a full closure of the intersection during construction.

Pedestrian traffic factored into the decision as well. Elrod said a signalized intersection provides a safer environment for people walking in the area, while a roundabout would have posed challenges.

A note of appreciation to reporter John Tuohy for breaking this story. Tuohy is retiring from the Indianapolis Star at the end of this week. From one retiree to another: best of luck, and enjoy what’s next.

You can read John Tuohy’s IndyStar story at this link, but there is a paywall.