The Monon pedestrian bridge crossing Ind. 32 won’t open until spring, but it will have an unexpected amenity.
“We actually added a lighting package to the bridge after it was bid, which caused a redesign on the handrail, which is all custom fabricated, so the design of the handrail took a lot longer than anticipated,” Senior Project Manager Dustin Shoe said. “So, we won’t get that delivered until February or March, and the contractor has to install the handrail before we can open the bridge up.”
Light bollards will extend the length of the bridge, with pole lights at each end of the bridge.
“Eventually, the whole Monon corridor from around State Road 32 up to Grand Park will be lit 24 hours a day,” Shoe said.
The lighting additions added to the cost of the project, but the contractor was still under budget compared to other bids.
The total cost is $4.2 million. Without the lighting, the project was anticipated to cost approximately $3.7 million. The project is funded by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, so it was an 80-20 match.
The trail is open up to the point of the bridge. Pedestrians still can use the crosswalk on Ind. 32.
The Monon bridge project broke ground in November 2018.
“We have high hopes for mobility on this corridor, and anything we can do with lighting we will do to encourage people to travel between the two areas (Ind. 32 and Grand Park),” Communications Director Vicki Duncan Gardner said. “We really appreciate people being patient on this. I think the addition of the lighting package will be really nice, and it’s definitely been worth the wait from our standpoint.”
