The City of Noblesville has received a total of $12,219,034 from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (IMPO). This includes a new award of $10,359,670 for three major infrastructure projects within the city and increased financial support in the amount of $1,859,364 for two previously awarded projects. The IMPO governing board approved the grants during its meeting Wednesday morning.
“We are grateful to have IMPO’s and the Noblesville Common Council’s partnership and support with these projects,” Mayor Chris Jensen said. “All of the new projects and the previously awarded trail projects will provide better and safer mobility in our city.”
Noblesville had three of the 30 central Indiana projects that were awarded a total of $78 million.
“The financial support lessens the burden on our city as we make these necessary improvements to address traffic issues and enhance pedestrian connectivity,” Noblesville City Engineer Alison Krupski said.
Noblesville’s projects include:
Pleasant Street – Phase I: $7M
The Reimagine Pleasant Street project is a multi-year initiative that city officials say will result in improved east-west connectivity and accessibility. The plan for the corridor is to relieve traffic congestion off State Road 32 by connecting Hague Road to State Road 37 and provide an additional bridge crossing over the White River.
“As the 10th largest city in Indiana, this project is crucial to mobility in Noblesville and across Hamilton County, especially considering the growth we have experienced and expect going forward,” Jensen said. “The roadway design will provide Noblesville residents, local businesses, and visitors with many improvements that will enhance mobility and public safety while also honoring the urban character and historic features of the project area.”
Phase I is the largest portion of the three phases and includes work from River Road to 10th Street. The city will solicit bids and select a construction firm later this year, with construction beginning in early 2023. Phases II and III are expected to go to bid in 2023.
Click here to see a high-resolution image of the Phase I draft.
Midland Trace Trail: $1.5M
The 12-foot-wide extension of the Midland Trace Trail will be constructed as a part of the Pleasant Street project. The trail project will be constructed in three phases like the roadway. The trail corridor will ultimately connect from SR 32 to SR 37. The Midland Trace trail provides regional multi-use path connectivity. It will be extended more than two miles from SR 32/Hague Road to SR 37, connecting Westfield and Noblesville. Phase 1 of the project will connect to the existing Riverwalk, which connects to downtown Noblesville and the Plum Prairie Historic District. It will also connect to the future Nickel Plate Trail and Fishers.
141st Street and Promise Road Roundabout (2024): $1.86M
Noblesville will change the current four-way stop at 141st Street and Promise Road into a roundabout at the border with Fishers. This improvement will lower gas emissions, and city officials say it will better serve motorists and will aid in safely maneuvering the intersection, especially for students on bus routes. Officials say the addition of this roundabout, along with a future roundabout at 141st Street and Howe Road, will significantly improve traffic progression along the nearly three mile stretch of 141st Street east of SR 37.
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Trail projects get increase of $1,859,364
The two previously awarded projects that received additional IMPO funding include the Little Chicago Road Trail and the Stony Creek Trail.
The Little Chicago Road trail will provide a 10-foot, multi-use path on the east side of Little Chicago Road from Elderberry Road to Carrigan Road, including widening the existing bridge to accommodate the trail.
The Stony Creek Trail will provide a connection under SR 37 along Stony Creek from Clover Road to Mercantile Boulevard. The 10-foot-wide trail will connect existing trails and remove a vehicular barrier to pedestrians. Each of these projects is expected to be constructed in 2023.
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The Indianapolis MPO is responsible for planning and programming federal transportation funds in an eight-county central Indiana region, and this funding allocation is an annual IMPO process. The recipients were selected from a highly competitive pool, and each funded project requires a local match and is judged based on relative technical criteria including impacts to air quality, improvements to congestion, pavement quality and safety.