INDIANAPOLIS — Meridian St. on the northside of the city is set to get a facelift with several improvements this spring.
From the White River to 96th St., Indy DPW will use $8 million to rehabilitate the pavement on Meridian St. and more. Sections of it now can be a rough ride with potholes filled in and unfilled.
”Terrible, up and down is terrible,” said Anthony Robinson, he commutes on Meridian St. “The congestion, the backups, the potholes, and then they try to patch it and the patches don’t work. It’s completely awful.”
Robinson said he’s driven Meridian St. every weekday for six years. He’s watched it get worse during that time.
“Almost everyday there is a new pothole that pops up,” Robinson said.
Mitchell Tor is another Meridian St. commuter. He takes it nearly all the way to his job near Carmel from where he lives close to Butler.
“Just kind of swerving around potholes here and there, not great,” Tor said.
Robinson pointed to his least favorite pothole near the corner of Meridian St. and 93rd St. He said it’s the size of a “hula hoop.” There are chunks of pavement scattered around the pothole and even a hubcap nearby.
It’s one of several problem potholes on this stretch.
“Hopefully you don’t hit one because it’s going to tear your car up,” Robinson said.
Indy DPW said the project will involve nine new and repaired drainage pipes, 19 ADA compliant curb ramps, new and upgraded traffic signals and rehabilitated pavement.
“I think that’ll probably help a lot, it’s just such a cyclical issue that just kind of doing these band aid fixes over and over again is going to get them anywhere,” Tor said.
Robinson is hopeful the drainage improvements will work. He said water can pool up on the streets when it’s raining.
“You may hydroplane here and there, I’ve done it a couple times,” he said.” You don’t see the potholes so you’ll hit it and pretty much bust your tire up.”
Robinson hopes the improvements can also slow down traffic in the area.
According to DPW, the four mile section of Meridian St. saw more than 300 crashes over the last three years – a third of those were from following too close.
“If you’re doing any type of deliveries, or anything like that, you’re getting pretty scared you’re going to get run over,” Robinson said.
DPW will keep one lane open on either side throughout the project. The project is expected to last less than a year, finishing up before 2023 is over.
