Broad Ripple Avenue will soon receive an estimated $6 million facelift.
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) laid out the plan September 8, which includes widened sidewalks, improved drainage, more lights and greenery and a new 12-foot-wide multi-use trail connecting the Monon Trail and Broad Ripple Park.
DPW plans to wrap up project design in October to send out for bidding and begin construction next spring, with completion estimated for late 2022.
Current plans for the project run along Broad Ripple Avenue from North College Avenue to Primrose Avenue also includes stormwater drainage improvements on portions of Guilford, Carrollton and Winthrop Avenues.
DPW presented two options for traffic closures during construction. The first option calls for a one-time closure of the stretch from College Avenue to Winthrop Avenue, lasting 4 months. The second would phase out closures, lasting nine months and changing current pedestrian access. Multi-use trail construction would not require road closures.
DPW hopes to make Broad Ripple Avenue more accessible to pedestrians by widening sidewalks and adding ADA-compliant curbs. Construction crews will widen the southern stretch between College Avenue and Winthrop Avenue by 9-and-a-half feet. The stretch from Guilford to Winthrop will feature an extra 6 feet of sidewalk. Current sidewalks are between 3 and 5 feet.
The multi-use trail, dubbed the Broad Ripple RiverWalk, will be a 12-foot wide path for both bikers and walkers and connect the Monon Trail to Broad Ripple Park.
Help Turn the Broad Ripple RiverWalk from a Dream into Reality
DPW’s project also includes improvements to stormwater drainage, increasing the stormwater capacity to reduce flooding in the area. Their plan addresses flooding with new inlets, manholes, and roadway drains.
DPW’s presentation is available for download [PDF] and more information is available at DPW’s major transportation and infrastructure projects page.
Reporting by Keelen Barlow, a Butler University student in JR411, Multimedia Newsroom, as part of a partnership between the magazine and Butler University.
