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Carmel outlines expanded summer paving plan after council boosts road budget
Summary
City staff described a larger 2025 paving program, a move from $5 million to $8.6 million in street funds that would increase treated lane miles and schedule major projects with traffic protections and nighttime work for a damaged bridge.
Carmel’s street department told the Small Business Network that the city’s 2025 pavement program will grow after the mayor and council approved an increased allocation from $5 million in 2024 to $8.6 million this year, allowing the department to treat more lane miles and accelerate maintenance in commercial corridors.
The change matters to businesses and drivers because the city expects to increase the miles resurfaced from about 54 lane miles last year to more than 70 lane miles in 2025. Ryan Reimer, a project manager with the street department, said the added money will let the city catch up on aging pavement while trying to reduce traffic impacts during work.
“We are projecting over 70, and that's even with a couple of areas being quite more expensive to actually do,” Reimer said. He described the department’s objective scoring system: “It's a 0 to a hundred, 0 being completely failed, hundred being brand new road right off the back of the roller.” The department uses a contractor, StreetScan, to measure defects and compute a pavement condition index (PCI) for each segment, then groups segments into management sections for budgeting and scheduling.
Reimer listed projects expected to affect the public: Westville Boulevard and 106th Street work coordinated with a nearby roundabout project; resurfacing in parts of West Clay and the central corridor; and restoration of the Keystone bridge damaged by a truck last year. “We have that bid out. That is expected to start May 1. We have required that to be nighttime, lane closures. So all work will happen from 9PM to 7AM,” he said, adding the city has required contractors to maintain at least one travel lane or flaggers so businesses remain accessible.
Staff described other efforts to preserve pavement life and stretch dollars, including crack-filling and rejuvenation treatments before full replacement is needed. Reimer said the city’s internal crews will continue to handle targeted strip-paving where only short areas of a road require repair.
City leaders tied the paving plan to broader coordination with neighboring jurisdictions and with utility work to avoid repeated closures. Reimer advised businesses to consult the department’s published map and upcoming news release for precise schedules. The department said the full paving map and updated project list will be released in the next two weeks.
Mayor Sue Finkham also emphasized winter damage to streets and gave an anecdote about fast pothole response, telling attendees a resident reported a pothole that was filled within a couple of hours. “If you see any, if you remember this e mail address, street@carmel.in.gov or use your myCarmel app and put it in there and they'll get after it really fast,” the mayor said.
City staff encouraged business owners to report specific concerns or blocked signage quickly so crews can correct traffic control or detour problems during multi-agency projects. The street department said it will try to limit full road closures and sequence work to reduce disruption to deliveries and customers.
