Council hears Ind. 37 traffic solution

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The intersections on Ind. 37, such as at 146th Street would be changed to roundabout interchanges in a $243 million proposed project to relieve traffic congestion. (Submitted rendering)
The intersections on Ind. 37, such as at 146th Street would be changed to roundabout interchanges in a $243 million proposed project to relieve traffic congestion. (Submitted rendering)

Hamilton County officials have a proposal to reduce traffic congestion and travel times along a six-mile stretch of Ind. 37 between Fishers and Noblesville by creating a freeway with roundabout intersections similar to Keystone Parkway in Carmel.

“People specifically avoid (Ind.) 37. What’s that do to our other roads? They are all getting more congested,” Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt said.

The Hamilton County Commissioners have conducted a study that advised the traffic issues and future failure of nine intersections between I-69 and Ind. 38 would be solved with such a renovation.

“INDOT is concerned with traffic going north and south, they aren’t concerned with traffic going east and west into your communities,” United Consulting President Dave Richter said.

Cost of the project to own and operate the roadway is estimated at $243 million during 50 years. Richter said 70 percent of the costs traditionally come from state and federal funding with the remaining 30 percent being split by local governments. But local officials are hoping for 85 to 90 percent funding to come outside of Hamilton County.

Richter said the problem needs to be addressed proactively to avoid the state, which owns the roadway, deciding the scope and schedule of the project.

“Businesses fear of gridlock or potential gridlock,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to sit back and wait for INDOT. We’ll probably be waiting for a long time.”

Richter said that INDOT understands the problem at Ind. 37 and is likely to approve or relinquish the road if an organized plan is created and supported locally.

“Here’s what we’ve learned: communities with great plans, great ideas like this, who have realistic plans of how to get it done, they’re the ones who are the most successful at winning the support and, frankly, the funding for a project like this,” he said.

Acquiring the highway is important to local officials.

“Owning is totally different,” Ditslear said.

Officials said if INDOT has control, Ind. 37 will be a “skyway or eight to nine lane parking lot.

“Westfield has input with INDOT and you see what they got – a wall that divides the community,” Richter sad.

Plans call for Ind. 37 to go under intersections.

“Impacts are surprisingly low. There are significant benefits – significant time and safety is improved dramatically. It also increases economic development incentive and businesses take note,” Richter said. “It’s a retail-friendly design. We’ve eliminated a significant traffic problem in the heart of Noblesville.”

Greg Kicinski of American Structurepoint said the roundabout interchanges would decrease noise and environment impact from idling vehicles. It also provides a safe pedestrian crossing at the intersections.

“You can’t walk across (Ind.) 37 and you definitely wouldn’t want to try riding a bike,” he said.

Kicinski said it would take three years to get to construction and three years of construction.

“It’s going to be a pain the longer we wait,” he said.

“Once we had Noblesville and Fishers support the next step is to meet with some of the business people,” Commissioner Christine Altman said, adding that as a combined group, the county and each city will then approach INDOT and the state for approval and funding negotiations.

With upgrades to U.S. 31, Keystone Parkway and I-69, Commissioner Steve Dillinger said “we’re suffering in Noblesville more than anybody else.”

“We’re going to choke to death if we don’t do anything,” he said.

“If you don’t do anything you’re going to be gridlocked and that’s worse than construction,” said Dave Cox, Noblesville resident and business owner.


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