Carmel Threatens Lawsuit After Roundabouts Shut Down During Rush

CARMEL, Ind. -- Tempers flared during the morning rush in Carmel Wednesday, when construction crews shut down two roundabouts, which has prompted the city to threaten a lawsuit.

Traffic was slow moving on 131st Street when crews working on the roundabouts at Illinois Street and Spring Mill Road closed the intersections, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

"You couldn't move. Normally, I work at 96th and Meridian, and normally it's like a five-minute trip down there and it took like 30 minutes to get there," said driver James Stamper.

The police were called when some angry motorists confronted the construction workers.

City officials said the construction company in charge of the project -- Poindexter Construction -- violated its contract to keep the roundabouts open during rush hour, and that the city is considering filing suit to cover the cost of providing the unexpected traffic control.

"At this point, we're trying to figure out what the contractor was basing their decision making on cause it sure wasn't ours," said city engineer Mike McBride. "We're trying to determine what the damages were."

Officials said that the company is allowed to restrict lanes on 131st Street between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., but not during the peak traffic times.

Poindexter Construction released a statement Wednesday saying that construction crews would adhere to the guidelines from now on. Company officials said the only reason they shut down the road was to ensure the public's safety.