HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. — Hamilton County officials are planning another major road project, but there’s still a long way to go before the cones come out.
Officials said the busy intersection of 146th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway on the border of Carmel and Noblesville will only get busier in the coming years, so it’ll soon need a $37 million makeover to keep traffic flowing.
“This is one of the most dangerous intersections for crashes in the county,” BridgePprogram Engineer Matt Lee said. “There’s also a level of service issue where it’s heavily congested.”
Safety and congestion are the main two reasons the Hamilton County Highway Department is planning to build a bridge raising 146th Street and add a roundabout to Hazel Dell Parkway below it.
“I think it’s needed,” Noblesville resident Chris Waylen said. “The intersection is well-traveled and there’s always an accident there.”
Project leaders asked people who live and work in the area for feedback, which could ultimately impact its final design, as construction won’t start until 2026.
John McClain explained his church sits right along the intersection and already provides police assistance with traffic for every service. He said the current plan would partially cut off access for drivers.
“I’m just concerned because we have a traffic flow of about a thousand people on a given Sunday coming in,” McClain said. “Going around the roundabout, you’re just pushing the problem down further.”
Officials said plans are only about 45% complete, so it’s not clear yet how exactly drivers will have to navigate the area during the two years of construction.
“We’re expecting to kind of mirror some of the things for maintenance of traffic that we did at 146th and Allisonville,” Lee explained. “So, maybe some temporary closures, while keeping 146th Street open during the project.”
Highway officials said members of the public can still send in written comments to CHA Consulting in Indianapolis, as long as they do so by July 5.
