Lochmueller was selected for this $7 million, two-way conversion of the existing one-way Michigan Street from West Street to the White River Parkway in Downtown Indianapolis. This four-lane road serves as a major artery in the heart of Indianapolis and provides direct access to IUPUI (with over 30,000 students), IU Health University Hospital, Riley Children’s Hospital, Eskanazi Hospital, and the VA Medical Center.
The project converted an existing one-way street to a two-way street with turn lanes and curb islands for landscaping. The project included widening of the existing roadway, new storm structures, new signals at all intersections, irrigation systems, decorative pavements for the Cultural Trail, a 9-foot dedicated bike path, and a new 8-foot raised sidewalk throughout the project.
The project required extremely complicated coordination to minimize disruption to the constant flow of pedestrians and motorists to and from the University and area multiple hospitals. Biweekly meetings were held to discuss pedestrian and vehicle access and track overall project progress. Even with these meetings, adjustments were made almost daily to accommodate pedestrians.
One of the major construction issues were the multiple utilities on the job. The utilities were more concentrated than normal given the number of major stakeholders within the project limits. Placing new drainage structures was a particular challenge due to all of the fiber optic communication lines as well as municipal utilities. Lochmueller staff worked closely with the designer to adjust/redesign drainage structures during construction.
