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Young aspiring engineer gets tour of INDOT construction sites

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis 5th grader is taking on the crusade of a lifetime, and he didn’t have to go far.

Alex Boeckmann took a trip on the new U.S. 31 from Indy to South Bend.

His mother contacted INDOT after realizing her son’s fascination with road construction.

She said Alex chose to take the trip to South Bend instead of going to South Africa.

He documented the experience in a blog and found out the trip to South Bend is now 30 minutes shorter than it used to be before U.S. 31 construction.

INDOT officials gave him an exclusive look at construction on the I-69 and 106th Street interchange in Fishers. He also got to see an INDOT maintenance unit in Westfield and another interchange in Tipton.

“I chose to go to U.S. 31 to make up for the trip [to South Africa] because I thought it was pretty much equal to going to South Africa,” Alex said.

He added that he wants to be a civil engineer when he’s older.