A major shift in traffic patterns at 96th Street and Keystone Parkway should help with congestion and access to businesses on 96th Street, east of the intersection. Meanwhile, due to unexpected utility delays, the previous plan to close east-west through traffic on 96th Street has been extended from 60 to 150 days – a step taken by the construction team in order to ensure project’s substantial completion by the end of 2019.
On or about June 17, the traffic light at 96th and Keystone will be removed and traffic on Keystone Parkway will be shifted onto newly constructed on-off ramps. This will allow northbound traffic coming on Keystone Parkway, north of Interstate 465, to proceed through the construction project without stopping. One lane will be dedicated to right-turn traffic onto 96th Street while the other lane will be for through traffic into Carmel.
Southbound Keystone Parkway traffic will also be able to proceed through the project without stopping, giving motorists better access to westbound 96th Street and I-465. Traffic turning south on Keystone Parkway from eastbound 96th Street will have a dedicated turn lane. Southbound Keystone traffic will not be able to turn left onto 96th Street. Detours will be either 106th Street or 86th Street.
These changes are being made in response to notification by utility companies that they would not be able to remove utility lines by the end of May, as previously expected. Instead, they will need to work until the end of July. Work on the bridge over 96th Street, however, cannot wait that long without a significant delay that could extend the overall life of the project into the summer of 2020. By making these traffic changes now, the project can remain on pace to be substantially completed by the end of 2019.