Noblesville’s Pleasant Street Moving Forward
The Common Council in Noblesville has approved $3.75 million to cover some of the early stages of a long-discussed east-west corridor in the Hamilton County city. The funds will cover preliminary design work and land acquisition. The precise route and scope has not yet been finalized, but Mayor John Ditslear says the ultimate location decision will be informed by the initial design phase.
Ditslear says without the design phase, residents are left in limbo. "We owe it to them to move forward," he says. "The funding provides my administration with the ability to prepare preliminary designs for the Pleasant Street corridor in order to evaluate and consider the footprint of the project’s impact."
The project is expected to involve 3-4 lanes of roadway running next to the Midland Trace Trail, providing a corridor between State Road 37 and Hague Road. Research is underway to determine if the route has historical significance. "We’ve said all along that this road project will present many challenges – but it will create opportunities as well,” said Deputy Mayor Steve Cooke, as long as “We can work together to help minimize threats to our local history. And to make sure we do this project in a way that improves connectivity and safe access for nearby residents using multiple modes of transportation."
The city says it will hold public meetings through the year as the process progresses.