Above: Illustration of the detour from INDOT 

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced today (Monday)  work will begin to construct a new interchange on I-69 at 106th Street in Fishers.  The current overpass at 106th Street will close April 11th.

The contractor hired by INDOT, Walsh Construction Company, plans to first shift northbound and southbound I-69 traffic lanes away from the median and reduce lane widths to 11 feet to accommodate temporary barrier and center pier construction for two new bridges.

The existing 106th Street bridge will be removed as part of the project.  Traffic will be detoured south to 96th Street via Allisonville and Lantern Roads during construction.

Here are more details on the project from the INDOT news release:

What to expect ahead

The speed limit near the construction zone at mile marker 204 will be reduced to 55 mph.  Motorists are advised to abide by work zone warning signage and posted speed limits.

Shifting traffic lanes on I-69 and other construction activities will require overnight lane restrictions between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.  Interstate traffic restrictions for construction are not expected to take place outside of these hours.

After 106th Street is closed, Walsh plans to begin demolition of the existing bridge in mid-April.  This will require consecutive overnight lane closures and rolling slowdowns on I-69 lasting up to 20 minutes at a time to create gaps in interstate traffic that will allow for removal of the bridge deck above.

About the project

INDOT awarded a $21.7 million contract to Walsh Construction Company to build the new interchange.  Hamilton County and the city of Fishers are partnering to contribute up to $12 million toward the total cost of construction.  

The interchange will feature a two-lane, oval-shaped roundabout on 106th Street over I-69 and ramps to and from both directions of the interstate.  Two separate two-lane bridges will each carry one direction of traffic. The bridge to carry westbound traffic on the north side of 106th Street is also designed to accommodate pedestrians.

The project is intended to reduce congestion at existing I-69 interchanges at 96th and 116th streets, increase traffic safety in the area and provide direct interstate access at 106th Street.  Direct access will serve existing residential and commercial destinations and accommodate development and population growth in the area.

The new I-69 Exit 204 to 106th Street is scheduled to open before the end of this year.  For more information about the 106th Street interchange project, go to http://www.in.gov/indot/3399.htm.

Fishers Firefighters responded to a house fire just before midnight Saturday night on Songbird Lane, just south of 116th Street between Eller Road and Allisonville Road.

Officials say there were no injuries, but there was “heavy fire damage” to the home.  No dollar amount was available on the damage.  The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Firefighters on the scene reported heavy flames shooting from the roof area of the house upon their arrival.

Fire officials say the blaze was under control within 40 minutes.

Moviegoers have been waiting for the epic battle, Batman Vs. Superman.  Who wins?  More importantly, does the audience win?  Here’s my Podcast review.

Street and road work will start kicking into higher gear now that spring is here.

The biggest headache project is the Hamilton County work closing 96th & Cumberland Road to allow the construction of a roundabout.  The closure happened March 21st and is scheduled to continue for 100 days.  Note the link below to detours.

State highway officials (INDOT) have an update below on 106th Street and the work to continue most of the remainder of 2016 to build a new interchange at 106th Street on Interstate 69.

There are several other work zones listed below during the work week beginning Monday, March 28th.

The list is provided by the City of Fishers.

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FALL CREEK TRAIL

Fall Creek Trail reconstruction work continues; the pedestrian bridges and section of sidewalk along the trail have been removed. Pedestrians should not use the trail within the sections that have been removed. In addition, there will be periodic lane closures along the project throughout the week of March 28th.

HAMILTON COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Hamilton County Highway Department will continue guardrail maintenance at several bridge locations during the week of March 28. There will be lane restrictions with flaggers at each location, and locations include:

136^th Street just east of Prairie Baptist
Cyntheanne Road just south of 136^th Street
Olio Road north of 126^th Street
Promise Road just south of 131^st Street

LANTERN ROAD

• The parking stalls on the west side of Lantern Road between North Street and Station Street along with the parking stalls on the south side of North Street between Lantern Road and Maple Street will be closed from March 18 until April 17 for construction activities.
• There will also be periodic lane restrictions between 116^th Street and North Street for construction on Four Day Ray Brewing.

96^TH STREET AND CUMBERLAND ROAD

The Hamilton County Highway Department has closed 96^th Street and Cumberland Road for 100 calendar days in order to construct a roundabout at this intersection. Anyone with concerns about this project should call 773-7770. Please click here to view a detour map.

106^TH STREET INTERCHANGE

INDOT will begin work on the 106^th Street interchange the week of April 4^th. On April 4^th a lane shift on I-69 will take place in conjunction with the closure of 106^th Street on April 11^th. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update.

116^TH STREET

There may be short-term lane restrictions on 116^th Street and Oak Drive as equipment is being brought on and off site. This project includes demolition of homes along 116^th Street and Oak Drive in preparation for a road improvement project.

126^TH STREET

Shoulder work continues this week on the north side of 126^th Street west of Promise Road. This work allows for construction on the new Granite Ridge subdivision, and the walking path is disrupted for construction entrance.

Teen dating violence is a subject people don’t like to talk about, especially in affluent suburban communities.  Jocelyn Vare and Brittany Winebar are part of a campaign saying everyone in Hamilton County should know this violence is “Not OK With Me.”  Jocelyn and Brittany joined me in a podcast to discuss the project.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation spends a lot of time each years raising money, so it can pass that money out to teachers around the school district.  85% of the teachers submitting requests in this latest round received funding from the foundation.

For a listing of the grant recipients throughout the HSE School System, use this link.

The biggest crowd I have seen at a Hamilton Southeastern School Board meeting packed into a large room at Fishers Junior High School to watch the board approve the iPad rollout this fall for grades kindergarten through 4th grade, with some special provisions included in the final plan.  In grades K-2, parents can choose whether to have there child bring the iPad tablet home.  There will also be rules implemented not allowing iPad use during recess, lunch or on the school bus, in a move to limit screen time in the lower grades.  No iPad use for gaming will be allowed.

A long procession of parents and educators signed up to speak for and against the proposal.  In the end, the board unanimously voted to support the administration’s recommendation.  The final version of that recommended rollout plan was not totally complete until about 2 hours before the meeting began, according to board members.

Part of the approved plan will create 3 parent advisory boards to monitor the progress of the iPad K-4 rollout.  HSE School Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board and the assembled crowd the HSE21 plan is not about iPads, it’s about learning.  The tablets are just a tool to achieve learning.

Parents will receive updates from the school on what apps are being used on the iPad devices.

The plan approved by the board will reduce iPad rental costs from $125 to $90 and calls for a reduction of textbook and other fees.

Noblesville City Hall is the place for the League of Women Voters 2016 primary election candidate forum.  Office seekers for county and state contested offices have been invited.

It all starts at 7pm.  HSE teacher Janet Chandler will handle the moderator duties.

The public is welcome to attend.

In this podcast, I talk to Leah McGrath about the city’s ongoing efforts to approve a comprehensive plan, and several other subjects.

The City of Fishers is looking for artists with experience to adorn a parking garage that will greet visitors coming from the interstate to the downtown Nickel Plate District.  The Edge is a building nearing completion on the east side of downtown that will mostly house space for Community Hospital, but is also expected to contain some restaurant and retail space.

The building will have a parking garage visible as you leave Interstate 69 and head west toward downtown Fishers and the Nickel Plate District.  The plan is to commission experienced artists to provide a showcase on the garage wall as visitors make their way downtown.

“The recent growth in the Nickel Plate District makes it an ideal location for public art,” Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “The artwork will be showcased in a highly visible area and help further define the space for residents, travelers and businesses experiencing our community.”

Here’s how the plans are detailed in the same news release:

The artwork will be displayed as a series of 7 panels which will each be approximately 23 feet tall and 7 feet wide. Artists are invited to submit up to three sets of design concepts for the project. A maximum of $30,000 has been allocated for the art, intended to cover costs associated with the development of the creative work and the cost of travel so the artist can attend the unveiling. The reproduction of the artwork to the banners and the actual installation will be managed by the City of Fishers and Yeager Properties via a separate budget process.

The winners be selected by a special committee.

“The selection community, as outlined in the Community Art Master Plan, will select the finalist,” according to Fishers Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath.  “That committee is comprised of members from the city council, Fishers Arts Council, Nickel Plate Arts, local artists and other city staff.”

The finalists should be known by August, with completion of the artwork expected this fall.

For more details, use this link.