Construction on the Madison Avenue “road diet”—a $47 million Complete Streets project aimed at shrinking lanes, adding curbs, sidewalks and an extension of the Interurban Trail—has been paused after crews discovered a crack in a new retaining wall. The issue, identified in July, halted work on Phase 1, which runs from Ray Street to Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive.
Clark Harris, a resident of the Bates Hendricks neighborhood and a member of its neighborhood board, told the Indiana I‑Team that workers vanished “in a matter of days” after the crack was found. “They’re almost done, they’re like 80 percent there, and then this section right here by this train bridge is where the stoppage is,” Harris said.
City officials confirmed the delay. Kyle Bloyd, Chief Communications Officer for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW), explained that engineers are still determining the cause of the crack and the appropriate repair method. “It is still unknown what the exact cause of that is, and the exact fix is still unknown,” Bloyd said.
DPW indicated that the setback affects only Phase 1. The original schedule called for completing this segment by the end of the current year, but Bloyd now projects a finish date “around June‑ish of 2027,” after allowing for extra time following the winter months.
The Madison Avenue project is part of a broader $305 million investment in Complete Streets initiatives across Indianapolis. Funding comes from a mix of city and federal sources, including multiple grant rounds administered by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (IMPO). When asked whether the delay would increase costs, Bloyd replied, “To be seen. If construction crews have concerns, we simply aren’t going to sign off on it. We are going to get the project done right.”
Phase 2, extending from Martin Street to Hanna Avenue, is still on track for a fall 2027 completion, while Phase 3—Pleasant Run Parkway North to Martin Street—is slated to finish by the end of 2028.
Residents like Harris remain hopeful that the improvements, including the new sidewalks and the Interurban Trail connection between downtown and the south side, will eventually enhance safety and mobility for the community.
What’s next: DPW expects to finalize the engineering solution for the retaining wall in the coming months and resume construction on Phase 1. The department will provide updated timelines as work recommences, with a target to complete the first phase by June 2027.
Sources: mirrorindy.org
