INDOT opens I-69 and 106th Street interchange
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) – Hamilton County drivers can rejoice. The new interchange just off of Interstate 69 has officially opened.
It was such a big deal for area leaders, they held two ribbon cuttings Wednesday afternoon. The bridge closed nearly eight months ago for the 106th Street project.
“So stoked,” Fishers resident, Allison Clark said. “So super stoked. I’m so excited because I need to go that way to get to work, and it’s going to make traveling so much easier.”
“Being that (it’s) the best way to get to that side of Fishers, it’ll be nice to have it open again,” Fishers resident, Sarah Honeycutt said.
The new interchange is different from any other in the state and its main objective is to reduce congestion. “To the mayor to my west, we do not have 100 roundabouts like he does, but I think we have the first one suspended in the air,” Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness said.
Here how it works: When you enter and exit I-69, you’ll actually drive in a large, two-lane roundabout. It’s a pattern INDOT says made sense for the area.
“The roundabout was decided to be the most cost effective, and the best suited for this location, and the traffic patterns,” INDOT spokesperson, Nathan Riggs said.
Work began back in April. It was built because of the future real estate development along I-69. Next fall, Ikea will open just north of the interchange.
The project cost $34 million. Fishers and Hamilton County spent $12 million of that.