INDIANAPOLIS — Businesses in downtown Broad Ripple are bracing for another construction project that is set to start next week.
It will focus on repairing and replacing the Westfield Boulevard bridge that goes over the canal.
The announcement comes as crews are finishing up an almost two-year project on Broad Ripple Avenue.
A Indianapolis Department of Public Works public meeting is set for Thursday night to discuss the plans.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It doesn’t seem real or right that this can happen,” said Chelsey Wetzel, the owner of Union Jack Pub.
Wetzel said her business hasn’t recovered from the last project and that she didn’t know about this new project until Monday.
“What has been forced upon us is not sustainable for small businesses, and it’s not OK, and it’s not acceptable,” Wetzel said.
She’s not alone. Cocktail bar Thieves also posted on Facebook telling Indy DPW, “We don’t want you in Broad Ripple.” Other businesses like 317 BBQ and Fire by the Monon echoed that same message.
However, businesses like the Bungalow said the improvements are worth the construction headache.
“It’s kind of an eyesore, so I am glad something is going to happen with it,” said Jennifer Velesco, the co-owner of the shop. “I am excited to see what our village can look like when this is over.”
Velesco and several other business owners plan to attend Thursday night’s meeting with DPW.
It is happening at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Indianapolis Arts Center’s auditorium. Anyone can attend.
More on the project
Indy DPW told 13News that this project was planned a few years ago and that it is necessary to do it now.
“We understand frustrations that residents and business owners have had over another project beginning in Broad Ripple; however, there are a few important facts to recognize regarding the Westfield Boulevard Bridge replacement,” an Indy DPW representative said. “Indy DPW takes public safety very seriously, and bridge replacement — which is a public safety matter — has several considerations when looking at the coordination and timing for construction.”
The representative said the city is coordinating with Citizens Energy because work inside the canal can only happen between Jan. 15 through April 15 due to seasonal restraints. To reach that deadline, the department said pre-construction work has to be done now to be ready to go.
The project also uses federal funding for most of the cost and requires oversight from INDOT.
“If we were to try and delay this project any further, we run the risk of losing that federal funding. With a total project cost of $4.7 million, the federal funding is critical to making sure this project is able to move forward. INDOT also has specifics for timelines that this project needs to abide by,” the Indy DPW representative said.
The statement went on to say, “This project is another example of the city's investment into Broad Ripple's infrastructure. With millions of dollars invested into the infrastructure of this neighborhood, we believe that the positive impacts of these investments will maintain Broad Ripple’s place as one of our city’s finest cultural districts – long outlasting the disruption that construction inevitably brings with it.”
Citizens Energy Group said crews will first remove a water main and set up a temporary main to ensure water supply to the area during the project.
During that time, the northbound lane of East Westfield Boulevard between the bridge and 64th Street will be restricted. That will occur on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for two weeks starting on or after Dec. 11.
The plan is to have everything completed by fall 2024.