HAMILTON CO. — The State Road 37 Improvement Project will address frustrations drivers in Fishers and Noblesville have been complaining about for years.
Every day 50,000 drivers travel down State Road 37. For years, drivers have been complaining that the green lights are much longer on State Road 37 than they are on the cross streets. But that is something that will soon change with this project.
'Lockhart Cadillac' moved into their location on the corner of 126th Street and State Road 37 in Fishers seven years ago. Lindsay Lockhart, the vice president of the family-owned business, says the improvement project along State Road 37 is needed.
"Once it's done, the construction will be a positive point for our business. Just getting through it and making our customers aware of what's going on is our top concern at this point.
A roundabout will be constructed above State Road 37 at 126th Street.
Project leaders say eliminating traffic signals will help reduce the stop and go traffic and ultimately cut down on the commute time for drivers.
"We're hoping to reduce that pretty drastically on peoples drive time so they can spend time with their families rather than in traffic," Jason Taylor, director of engineering for the City of Fishers, said.
The improvement project also includes roundabouts at 131st Street and 141st Street. 146th Street will be a single point urban interchange, similar to what drivers see now at I-465 and Allisonville Road.
The City of Fishers is helping local businesses like Lockhart Cadillac survive construction with a $500,000 marketing campaign.
The S.R. 37 improvement project will cost an estimated $124 million to complete. The breakdown of funds, according to its website, includes:
- INDOT to contribute $100 million
- Hamilton County to contribute $12 million
- City of Fishers to contribute $12 million
Lockhart says she wants customers to know they will pick them up, drop them off, and do whatever it takes to continue serving them.
"We're going to work together and get through it," Lockhart said. "There are a lot of businesses up and down the street. It's going to be a long project for everybody. Right now we just want to make it the best we can."
The City of Fishers says there has been a delay in the official start of the project. Work will begin in October and construction is expected to be completed in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project.
On the improvement project website you can find answers to almost all of the questions you may have, such as:
I travel SR 37 to and from I-69 every workday. Once complete, how will this impact my commute?
Once the SR 37 project is complete, there will no longer be signalized intersections on the corridor. Traffic is expected to flow more fluidly from north of 146th Street to I-69. In addition, the elimination of traffic signals on SR 37 is expected to ease traffic congestion along the northbound I-69 and SR 37 exit (Exit 205) during P.M. peak hours. After improvements are made, all intersections will operate at the highest level of service (A) through 2036. In addition, the study found increased safety due to the reduction of stop and go congestion. This means that your commute time will decrease and motorist safety will increase.
How will this improvement project benefit businesses located along SR 37?
Because of traffic congestion, more and more residents are already seeking alternate routes—avoiding SR 37 and overloading secondary routes. By improving the corridor’s flow and mobility, potential customers are less likely to avoid the corridor which could lead to more business for the area establishments. In addition, by improving bicycle and pedestrian mobility and connecting the community, the SR 37 area businesses could attract additional customers. Historically, corridors that are friendly to alternative modes of transportation enjoy increased economic development opportunities. For more information about the impact of SR 37 improvements in your business, your may submit a Request an Information Meeting Form.
