INDIANAPOLIS -- Commuters who travel along Meridian Street to and from work every day will need to find another route.
Meridian Street at 28th Street closed Tuesday due the construction of a tunnel project to clean up Indianapolis' waterways. It is not scheduled to reopen until November of 2018.
28th Street will also be closed east of Illinois Street to Pennsylvania Street for the same duration.
The primary detour will be marked at 30th Street from the north and Fall Creek Parkway from the south. You can see a map of the routes below.
The project includes two large sewers to capture and divert combined sewer overflows to the Fall Creek Tunnel. It is part of the DigIndy Tunnel System, which is slated to be completed by 2025. Sidewalks, curbs and pavement will all be restored as part of the project.
According to Laura O'Brien, spokesperson for Citizens Energy Group the DigIndy Tunnel System is "a federally mandated project to build a 28-mile long network of deep rock tunnels 250 feet beneath the city. The tunnels will store 250 million gallons of sewage and storm water during rain events and nearly eliminate about 6 billion gallons of annual overflows to area waterways by the year 2025. DigIndy will help restore area rivers and streams, enhance recreational opportunities and drive community revitalization and economic development."
“While we understand the frustrations commuters may have over the next several months, this project will help clean up our waterways to levels not seen in over 100 years and produce benefits that will last for generations to come,” said Citizens Energy Group President & CEO Jeffrey Harrison.
To learn more about how the DigIndy Tunnel System will improve our community, visit DigIndyTunnel.com.
