Broad Ripple Avenue Reopened for Vehicular Traffic Friday, September 1
After nearly five months, the Broad Ripple Village Association is proud to share that Broad Ripple Avenue is reopen for vehicular traffic. The neighborhood and its businesses were impacted for nearly 250 days in 2022; Broad Ripple Avenue from Winthrop to Guilford was closed for 100 of those days. While this is a major milestone in the redesign project partially funded by the BRVA and its members, the project is not scheduled to be fully completed until the end of the year. Short-term lane restrictions and partial closures are still anticipated. Remaining activities include, but are not limited to, work to side streets (including Winthrop, Guilford, and Carrollton), street finishing, landscaping, signage placement, and construction of the RiverWalk.
The RiverWalk trail has been a collective dream for more than 30 years stemming from the belief that beautiful and pedestrian-friendly spaces create healthier, happier, and more equitable communities. In 2017, a group of Broad Ripple business leaders convened the Broad Ripple RiverWalk Task Force to continue the community conversation and generate enthusiasm for the project. Working in partnership with the Broad Ripple Village Association, the task force submitted a successful proposal to the City of Indianapolis Department of Public Works for a Neighborhood Infrastructure Grant. This innovative funding mechanism provides half of the funding for the $1.1 million project. Since the BRVA was awarded the DPW grant in 2018, volunteers and supporters worked with community members, foundations, and businesses to generate the necessary matching funds to fully fund the RiverWalk’s construction.
“The reopening of the avenue to vehicular traffic is a massive step toward the completion of this extremely needed infrastructure project,” said Jordan Dillon, Executive Director of the BRVA. “While our businesses have suffered hardships and challenges with access to their storefronts over the past 18 months, our entire Village is delighted to return to a sense of normalcy and welcome neighbors and visitors alike to a new and improved streetscape.”
