Bridge closure causes crashes, property damage
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A group of neighbors are taking action after traffic detoured from the College Avenue bridge closure continues to cause car accidents and property damage.
Indianapolis Department of Public Works crews closed the College Avenue bridge over Fall Creek Monday and secured a detour through the neighborhood just southeast of the closure. The surface repair should last until Nov. 17, according to DPW.
Unfortunately, neighbors said their streets aren’t the ideal route for a detour.
“People are weaving back and forth. There’s a lot of one-ways here and weird little cross streets that angle and it’s very confusing for drivers,” said Rachael Kissinger, who lives along Carrollton Avenue.
“It’s pretty confusing, so there’s a lot of cross traffic, and it’s kind of dangerous, honestly,” said Rob Carson, who lives along 28th Street.
Neighbors described seeing speeding, wrong-way drivers, dangerous U-turns and what looks like a game of “follow the leader,” where three or four cars end up stuck in an alley, trying to find their way through.
“As much as they warn people about it happening, you know you’re going to have droves and droves of people who didn’t know,” said Marcus Saloane, who lives along 28th Street. “They need to route the drivers a little better. Help them out. Help the drivers.”
Saloane said he has a heart for the lost commuters and hopes the city can make some changes to the detour route. He parks his car on the road and is now handling an insurance claim.
“I got hit. Just sitting on the side in front of the house. Parked in front,” he said.
Saloane spent time Thursday knocking on neighbors’ doors to let them know the pastor of nearby Metropolitan Baptist Church was allowing residents to use the church’s parking lot to keep their cars safe. The pastor also told Saloane he had reported damage to the church parking lot due to cars cutting through it.
News 8 saw several drivers getting lost in the neighborhood Thursday and noticed a number of drivers holding smartphones, possibly using GPS navigation. Kissinger noticed the same thing and said she does not want to wait around for another accident.
“I’m concerned somebody is going to get hurt. The cars can be replaced. People can’t,” she said.
On Thursday, Kissinger and several neighborhood children created large signs asking drivers to drive slowly and reminding them the area is a residential neighborhood, even if it is a detour route.
“This isn’t College Avenue. We aren’t used to it over here on our very quiet streets,” Kissinger said.
She and other neighbors are asking the city to put up larger, more specific detour signs to help drivers navigate.