The Spyglass area is poised to receive its long-sought traffic signal to ease the challenge of making left-hand turns onto 116th Street, though the exact timeline for installation remains uncertain.
The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety voted Friday morning to approve a new traffic signal at the intersection of 116th Street and Klotz Farm Boulevard. Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness told Spyglass residents attending the meeting that the project is expected to cost approximately $500,000 and is not included in the city’s already-approved 2026 budget.
As a result, the city will need to either reallocate funds within the 2026 spending plan, if possible, or delay the project until 2027. Mayor Fadness said Fishers has successfully managed similar funding challenges in the past.
Fishers Director of Engineering Hatem Mekky said new technology being implemented as part of the city’s traffic signal system should help ensure east-west traffic along 116th Street is not significantly disrupted by the additional signal. Mayor Fadness acknowledged, however, that during peak travel times, drivers waiting to make a left turn from the Spyglass neighborhood onto 116th Street may experience longer wait times for a green light.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from council members and other folks that really do not want to see a stop light on 116th Street,” Fadness said. “But I think with the new technology that we have, you can put a stop light on 116th Street and it really won’t impact the commuter going by — with the exception of when a car is exiting the neighborhood. And we can even control that experience to some degree as well.”
City officials cited traffic data from recent years showing a number of crashes in the area, many linked to the difficulty of making left turns from Spyglass onto 116th Street. Residents from the Spyglass neighborhoods have been advocating for a solution for several years.
One alternative proposal would have connected the two Spyglass neighborhoods, but that option was generally opposed by residents.
In other action Friday, the board approved awarding a $3.5 million contract to Reith-Riley Construction to build a new traffic signal and reconfigured intersection at 116th Street and Allisonville Road. That project is expected to begin in March or April and be completed by the fall.
The board also approved a $1.6 million contract with Midwest Paving for construction of a roundabout at 96th Street and Cyntheanne Road. That project is scheduled to take place during the summer school break in 2026.
