About $280 million in road and infrastructure improvements are in the pipeline as the city’s Department of Public Works kicks off a busy summer construction season.
Before 2026 comes to a close, DPW plans to improve 48 lane miles of streets, 15 bridges and 4 miles of bike lanes, department officials said at a press conference on May 7.
Big improvements are on the way for the west side of Indianapolis in particular, with $60 million set aside for repaving Girls School Road and the addition of a long-awaited sidewalk in front of Ben Davis High School. In June, the 16th Street Bridge over the White River will close for up to two years for structural work.
In addition to the west side projects, DPW is in the midst of a months-long drainage project in Fountain Square. On the north side, two busy streets will go from one-way arteries to two-way channels. Plus, the Henry Street Bridge will finally open.
With multiple disruptive projects on the horizon, Mayor Joe Hogsett asked for “patience” from residents as the city tears up and blocks off roads in the coming months. Here’s a look at five major road construction projects around the city.
Girls School Road repaving
Girls School Road, a busy north-south artery on the far west side, is getting a makeover all the way from 21st Street down to the Indianapolis International Airport.
The road will be finished in two phases. First, crews will completely repave the stretch from 21st Street to Rockville Road. Part of the work will include putting in a sidewalk in front of Ben Davis High School, where students currently have to walk along the busy road in the grass.
DPW Director Todd Wilson said the sidewalk is coming “not a day too soon.”
“We are transforming roadways to make them safer for everyone,” Wilson said at a press conference just west of Girls School Road on Thursday to announce the project.
The second phase will repave Rockville Road to Perimeter Road near the airport.
More details on the phases will come soon, Wilson said. The city has received bids for the project and will formally announce the construction company in the coming months. By the end of 2028, the entire project is set to be completed.
Fountain Square drainage project
Much of Fountain Square’s main strip is being torn up as the city undergoes a complicated and expensive drainage improvement project that costs $14 million.
The project, broken up into multiple phases to minimize impact, is expected to take at least until the end of 2026, with the goal to reopen streets by the end of the year if water utility work goes smoothly and the weather cooperates, a DPW spokesperson said.
Business owners have said the drainage improvements are solely needed, as many storefronts flood during heavy rains, but the disruption has also had an impact on sales.
For up-to-date information on road closures and detours directly from DPW, sign up for alerts here. To follow updates provided by the Fountain-Fletcher neighborhood group, click here.
16th Street bridge repairs
Come June, those looking to get across the river will not be able to take 16th Street, as DPW will completely close the bridge for millions worth of repairs.
DPW announced in March the department would close the bridge for two years starting in June to perform $15 million of vital repairs on the artery built in 1948. After widespread community outcry, DPW tweaked plans and estimates the bridge could open by the end of 2027.
Since 2012, the bridge has been listed in “fair” condition.
Two-way conversions ahead for 29th and 30th Streets
A new era is coming soon for residents of the near north side, who will say sayonara to a pair of one-way streets as DPW looks to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists as part of the city’s Vision Zero plan.
A two-mile of stretch of 30th Street from the White River to Meridian Street will be redone, while a 2.5-mile section from the river to Central Avenue will convert to two directions.
The city plans to complete the project by the end of the end of 2027.
Henry Street Bridge completion is soon
The two-lane Henry Street Bridge which is part of the Cultural Trail expansion will open by the end of 2026, connecting the west side and downtown.
During construction and a subsequent archeological excavation, crews found more than 1,700 remains from what is thought to be some of the first Black residents of Indianapolis on the former Greenlawn Cemetery.
Alysa Guffey writes business and development stories for IndyStar. Contact her at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 5 major Indianapolis road projects happening in 2026
Reporting by Alysa Guffey, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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