INDIANAPOLIS — Some drivers on Pendleton Pike said they are sometimes forced to take unusual measures to get where they're going.
"A lot of times, I'll turn right and do a U-turn because it seems less risky than trying to find a gap in the traffic," Emerson Harper said.
Along five miles of U.S. 36 and State Road 67 between Interstate 465 and 65th Street, INDOT said you'll find multiple areas where the crash rates — and severity — are higher than the state average.
"There's 45,000 cars that travel on Pendleton Pike every day. You know it's busy, but you don't realize it's that many and the severity of the crashes that are happening," Levi Wagner said.
INDOT created the "Pendleton Pike Progress" project to change that. They want to add medians, connect sidewalks and focus on left turns in high-traffic areas. They invited neighbors out Thursday night to weigh in.
"I think safety is really important," Harper said. "I think coming into this meeting, I wasn't sure how I felt about the medians, but after hearing about accidents and seeing some of those pictures, it's really concerning."
Some are worried the project may be "an overcorrection."
"I'm at the store 40 or 50 hours a week, and I don't see accidents on this stretch," Angela Corkwell said.
Corkwell and her father, Juergen "JJ" Jungbauer, are worried about how the medians are going to impact their small business, Heidelberg Cafe.
"A small business cannot afford to have the people driving around five blocks to have the people enter your place," JJ said.
No matter what side of the road they're on, some people in this room said you can't stop progress.
"I think it's going to be really great once it's completely finished," Wagner said.
"But we will survive, that's right," JJ said.