CARMEL, Ind. -- Neighbors in Carmel are worried that a construction project on Rangeline Road may be slowing down first responders who are trying to get to emergency situations.
A video posted by a man who owns a business near the construction zone shows two police officers with their lights flashing moving very slowly as they try to pass drivers on the one-lane road.
"Scary. I mean, right? You look at the police trying to get through. The people are trying to get out of the way, but you know, it's nerve-wracking enough when the police are behind you with their sirens on,” said resident Chris Ellington. “Then you're trying to find a place to go and there's nowhere to go."
Ellington says he’s worried the construction could be impacting emergency response times.
“I’d hate to see them say ‘we’re sorry, we couldn’t get to you because of the construction on Rangeline Road,’” said Ellington.
Lieutenant Joe Bickel with the Carmel Police Department says so far they haven’t had any response time issues because of the construction, and the department stays updated on lane closures, traffic changes and the status of construction projects across the city.
“It allows officers to decide what is the best route for their emergency call,” said Lt. Bickel. “Sometimes, we just have to be patient just like drivers.”
City Engineer Jeremy Kashman says the project at Rangeline Road is expected to wrap up at the end of June.
Long-term, the road will be reduced to one driving lane and one bike and pedestrian lane in each direction and there will be a mountable median and curbs for emergency use.
Kashman says he’s worked with the police and fire departments on the amount of space they will need to pass vehicles on Rangeline Road once the project is complete.
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