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Indianapolis – A downtown thoroughfare closed for more than a year and a half re-opened Thursday.

 

City and neighborhood leaders gathered to celebrate the re-opening of East Market Street. That’s where the old so-called ski-jump on-ramp to I-70 was located. It’s now a landscaped two-way street connecting downtown to the near east side with the new interchange at Washington Street.

Some business owners say construction took longer than they were told and hurt business. The owners of a pizza place are closing and selling their building.

Still, many residents in the Holy Cross neighborhood say they look forward to residential and commercial redevelopment, and are relieved they no longer feel cut off by a concrete wall.

“You got a straight shot right now on Market Street, and walkability has improved which is very very big, and I sit on my front porch on Highland and I see more and more pedestrian traffic now starting to walk downtown, and of course bikes, the bike trails, it’s just another step,” said Patrick Dubach, Holy Cross Neighborhood.

“Removing the old I-65/70 ramps along Market and Ohio, that’s what really enables us to open Market Street for these new commercial and residential opportunities. By opening up Market Street, not only are we spurring investment, but we’re also creating a more walkable, livable, safer community and connecting again, the near east side neighborhood to the downtown area,”said Kit Werbel, Indianapolis Department of Public Works.

The cost of the project was $22 million with the federal government paying all but $5 million of the tab.

 

The entire project is called “Project Open Market.”

Construction started in March 2008 on two fronts:

First, removing three interstate ramps along Market and Ohio, including the long, steeply rising “ski jump” as it was commonly called. The “ski jump” went up and over the railroad tracks, divided the neighborhood and hindered redevelopment in the area. The ramps were built in the 70s to access Market Square Arena.

Second, building the new I-65/70 interchange along Washington Street. Those entrance and exit ramps are already open and has already helped improve traffic flow, a main thoroughfare into the heart of downtown.

Many neighborhoods on the near east side have already started efforts for housing redevelopment and the Metropolitan Development Commission just signed off on a 10-year tax abatement for a $65 million mixed-use development next to the former Market Square Arena site.

Residents in the area also say traffic has improved saying, before the new corridor, drivers would exit off the old interstate ramps here, and get lost trying to get downtown.

Sourch WTHR.COM