What’s being done to ease Fishers construction woes
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) – As two construction projects get underway, Fishers officials have made changes they hope could ease traffic woes.
For the past week, construction has been underway at the 96th Street and Cumberland Road intersection in Fishers. It’s a project that has been felt by people who live nearby.
“It’s definitely crazy,” Fishers resident Ashlee Alvey said. “It takes us like literally 20 minutes to get out of this complex.”
“I’m sitting in the car with my daughter, who doesn’t even want to come visit us anymore and so that makes it kind of hard too because it’s difficult to get down 106th [Street] one way or another,” Fishers resident Fama Hanson said.
Both live at a complex on 106th Street. It’s a place that isn’t getting easier to access. Soon, a bridge on 106th Street will close.
“Well if they close the bridge and the cars can’t come through, maybe that’ll be better,” Hanson said. “I don’t know, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Fishers officials said they’re aware of the traffic issues. “Right now it is painful, we understand, and we’re expecting it to be a short-term scenario so that it can make a better long-term solution,” Fishers Engineering Assistant Director Jason Taylor said.
They’re also working on a short-term plan. They’ve changed timing at lights, and added a temporary signal along 106th Street.
Traffic is also a concern in neighborhoods. After construction started, city officials say people took short cuts, so they added these temporary speed humps, signage and officers.
Solutions neighbors hope will work, or it could be a long summer. “The end product will be good, I’m hoping,” Alvey said. “I’m going to cross my fingers on that one.”
In addition to making physical changes, the city is also doing daily monitoring, by driving the detours. And as the 106th Street project gets under way, they will make changes if necessary.
Work is expected to be completed on the roundabout by July. As for I-69, crews said it’ll be finished by the end of the year.