Carmel outlines phased reconstruction of North College Avenue; residents warn of cut-through traffic

City of Carmel engineering staff on March 17 outlined plans to reconstruct North College Avenue in three phases, saying the project will begin “on or after March 17” and will include a targeted 60-day closure of the 96th Street intersection with College Avenue.

City Engineer Brad Pease said the work will be completed in three phases, with the first phase — the stretch between 90th Street and 465 (roughly 96th Street/College area) — scheduled to start March 17 and be finished by July 4. “This is a project that’ll be completed in three phases,” Pease said. He and other presenters described Phase 1 as the most disruptive because it will include the planned 60-day full closure of east–west traffic at 96th Street to build the roundabout there.

Why it matters: the reconstruction will replace pavement and install a new water main, add sidewalks and multiuse paths, and construct multiple roundabouts, changes city staff say are intended to improve safety and pedestrian connectivity but that will reroute traffic during construction.

Joshua Kirsch, senior staff with the engineering department, told residents the city will keep local connectivity as much as possible. “We are committed to maintaining traffic in the city’s right of way and connectivity,” Kirsch said, and staff pledged to coordinate temporary drives or metal/stone plates so businesses on the east side of College Avenue can remain accessible throughout construction.

Project schedule and major elements - Phase 1 (March 17–July 4 window): work between 90th Street and the 465 area; includes a targeted 60-day closure of 96th Street east–west at College to build the 96th/College roundabout. The Parkwood roundabout (just north of 90th Street) will be constructed during phase 1 but the team said the 96th closure would be targeted to the best 60-day weather window within that phase. - Phase 2 (roughly July–October): work north of 465; staff said one side of the boulevard will be built first (northbound or southbound), keeping traffic on the opposite side open where possible. - Phase 3 (fall or spring 2026): remaining side of the boulevard; staff said phase 3 may slip to spring 2026 if winter prevents completing work.

Brad Pease said the north section of College will be reconstructed as a boulevard with widened edge curves, raised pedestrian crosswalks at roundabouts, sidewalks and multiuse paths running the length of College, and other pedestrian improvements. Pease described coordination with utility work and emphasized the need to sequence pavement removal and water-main installation carefully: “once you start digging up the ground, kind of all bets are off,” he said.

Access, detours and business impacts City staff said they will maintain access to businesses on the east side of College Avenue during all phases by using temporary drives or plates when individual driveways are cut. Dave Mahala (project representative/RPR) said staff would contact property owners ahead of disruptive work and install temporary access before removing existing driveways.

The posted detour route during the 96th/College closure will route traffic via 106th Street/Westfield Boulevard, 90th Street and US-31, staff said. Kirsch and project staff told residents they will publish media releases and post updates on the city website; attendees were instructed to email the city’s engineering department (engineeringcarmel.in dot gov) or call City Hall and ask for Joshua Kirsch with questions.

Neighborhood safety concerns and enforcement limits Several residents from neighborhoods south of 90th Street — which are within Indianapolis jurisdiction — told engineers they expect streets to be used as cut-throughs by trucks and speeding cars during closures. One resident said the earlier utility work produced “ungodly amounts of traffic” through the neighborhood, including semis and speeding cars.

Kirsch acknowledged the concern and said Carmel will add signage and coordinate with Carmel Police Department; he also said the city has contacted counterparts in Indianapolis for help on streets south of 90th Street but cautioned there are limits to what Carmel can enforce outside its jurisdiction. “There’s only so much Carmel can do south of 90th Street,” Kirsch said. He told attendees that Carmel officers can stop drivers south of 90th Street but would generally need Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) to complete traffic enforcement in Indianapolis.

Coordination with INDOT and other nearby projects Engineers said they are coordinating with Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and noted additional construction planned nearby on SR 31 and I-465 could affect traffic in the area. Jeremy Cashman, the city’s chief infrastructure officer, said Carmel has a meeting scheduled with INDOT to learn more about timing; staff warned overlapping projects could cause some traffic to migrate among local routes while multiple projects are active.

Pedestrian facilities and design choices Council President Adam Austin, who said he is familiar with the area, noted raised crosswalks were included in the roundabout designs. Austin said raised crossings and multiuse paths should help slow traffic and improve pedestrian connections; project staff confirmed raised crosswalks at roundabouts and continuous sidewalks and multiuse paths as part of the project.

What residents asked for and what staff pledged Residents asked for more signage, better barricading, a stronger police presence during peak commute hours, and advance notice of driveway disruptions. Project staff said they will increase on-site monitoring compared with prior utility work, add signage, and respond to on-site complaints; Mahala and other staff invited residents to text or call project contacts during active construction to report issues such as trailers or unsafe practices.

No formal votes or approvals occurred at the meeting. Staff repeatedly emphasized the schedule may evolve based on field conditions, weather and utility coordination, and urged residents to watch media releases and the city website for updates.

Ending: Next steps City staff said they will continue public messaging as the plan evolves, coordinate with INDOT and Indianapolis officials where possible, and provide property-specific access plans to businesses before disruptive work begins. Residents were told to direct construction complaints to project staff and to their local elected representatives for enforcement matters outside Carmel’s jurisdiction.