INDIANAPOLIS — Starting Monday, drivers on the northeast side of Indianapolis will face some traffic changes as IndyGo continues construction of its new Purple Line.
The eastbound lanes of East 38th Street will be closed beginning as early as April 4 from Fall Creek Parkway to Keystone Avenue. One westbound lane will be open in the area. The detour will send eastbound traffic north on Fall Creek Parkway to Keystone Avenue, though there will still be access to southbound Sutherland Avenue at the intersection of 38th Street and Fall Creek Parkway.
There will also still be access to local homes and businesses in the area.
The closure is expected to last 130 days, into mid-August. During that time, IndyGo said outbound bus stops on Routes 4 and 39 will remain closed. The closed stops include 10268, 10169 and 10167 and temporary bus stops will be added when possible. Inbound bus stops that were closed during the Orchard Avenue closure will reopen.
The $188 million project will take about two years to complete (finishing in 2024) and stretch from North Meridian Street, east along 38th Street to Post Road, and then, up into Lawrence, ending at Fort Benjamin Harrison and Ivy Tech. It will also connect into the current Red Line, taking passengers down Meridian Street and into the heart of downtown Indianapolis.
When completed, more then 58,000 people will be within walking distance of the line (defined by IndyGo as 1/4- to 1/2-mile) and be within a similar distance of nearly 135,000 jobs. People living within that proximity of the line are 61.6% minority and 30% low-income.
The Purple Line will use 60-foot articulated, fully-electric buses.
Instead of bike racks on the front of the bus, Purple Line buses have onboard bicycle storage, meaning those with a bicycle should board at the door nearest the bike storage area.
Click here to learn more about IndyGo's Purple Line.