Utility work to prepare for a new downtown hospital by Indiana University Health is progressing, leading to the next phase of traffic changes near the Methodist Hospital campus.
*The intersection of 16th and Capitol Avenue will be closed for utility work from Jan. 11 until mid-February.
*Capitol Avenue from 16th to 15th streets will be closed from Jan. 11 to March 30. However, travel lanes will be reconfigured between 14th Street and the Starbucks store at 1420 N. Capitol to allow for north- and south-bound traffic.
*Due to the closing of the 16th and Capitol intersection, the Red Line bus stations at 14th and 18th streets on Capitol will be closed from Jan. 11 to March 30.
*The main entrance to the Methodist Emergency Department on 16th Street re-opened last month to traffic from Senate Avenue and will remain open in the next phase of utility work. A temporary access road also remains open to the ED from Capitol Avenue.
*The stretch of 16th Street from Capitol Avenue to Senate Blvd., which has been closed for extensive utility construction since Sept. 22, should be rebuilt, repaved and re-opened for traffic by mid-February.
Due to the pace of the utility work, some of the dates for this phase of street closings are different from the initial schedule announced in September. Keep informed of construction updates and see street closing maps here. https://iuhealth.org/thrive/construction-updates-for-new-downtown-hospital
The temporary traffic changes are needed to accommodate extensive utility work to prepare for construction of a new, world-class IU Health downtown hospital and expanded Methodist medical campus. IU Health is working with utility companies to relocate underground utilities, including water, electric and steam lines, to serve the new hospital and growing campus.
Contractors and planners from IU Health and the City of Indianapolis are intent on minimizing the impact on traffic. Signage will alert motorists to detours and direct traffic to nearby streets during the construction period.
The utility work does not impact the main Senate Blvd. entrance to Methodist Hospital or access to the main Methodist parking garages used by patients and visitors.
NORTH SPLIT: 10th Street to close starting Tuesday, Jan. 18
Beginning Tuesday, 10th Street will be closed to traffic under I-65 and I-70 between College Avenue and Highland Avenue for overhead structure demolition and beam erection as part of the ongoing North Split project. Normal traffic flows will resume on or after Jan. 29, weather permitting. Eastbound and westbound traffic will be detoured to 16th Street throughout the duration of this closure.
Michigan Street will remain closed under the interstates through Jan. 21. New York and St. Clair streets have recently reopened, state officials said.
Access to downtown Indianapolis will be maintained via:
*I-70 westbound collector/distributor (C/D) ramp exit ramp to Michigan Street (13-ton declared vehicle weight restriction in effect).
*Pine Street entrance ramp to I-70 eastbound from Ohio Street, Michigan Street and New York Street.
*I-65 northbound/I-70 eastbound exit ramp to Washington Street (13-ton declared vehicle weight restriction in effect).
*I-65 northbound and southbound to Martin Luther King. Jr./West Street.
*I-65 southbound to Meridian Street
*I-65 northbound to Meridian and Pennsylvania Streets
*All existing ramps on I-70 west of the South Split
Project information can be found at northsplit.com.
INDOT encourages drivers to slow down, exercise caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones.
PHOTO ABOVE: 16th Street has been closed alongside IU Health Methodist Hospital as work continues toward the new Downtown hospital campus.
