Significant improvements are coming to IndyGo’s Red Line with the addition of rub rails to station platforms, along with performing maintenance on pavement on the dedicated bus lanes and station bus pads.
The work will start on or after June 6. These upgrades will provide additional long-term stability and protect the investment made in the system’s infrastructure.
Conducting this work will require some short-term road closures and detours around construction areas. Construction at individual stations is expected to last no more than four weeks at a time. During these planned station closures, IndyGo will strive to provide temporary bus stops in locations where it is operationally safe to do so. More details on temporary bus stop locations will be provided to the public prior to each planned station closure.
“Indianapolis is no stranger to the challenges of maintaining roadway pavement. The weight of 60-foot electric buses running repeatedly over the same routes seven days a week means an even greater stress on dedicated bus lanes,” said Jennifer Pyrz, IndyGo vice president of infrastructure, strategy and innovation. “That wear and tear creates the need for periodic maintenance and repairs.”
While filling potholes is a regular part of maintenance for all public works agencies, IndyGo will take advantage of this opportunity to conduct more extensive repairs and apply treatments that are part of the Purple Line design. IndyGo will conduct full-depth patching in areas where the bus lanes are showing signs of pavement damage and will not only repair any cracks in bus pads but add reinforcement at the same time to strengthen and prolong the life of the pavement.
IndyGo will also install rub rail at all the station platforms, including on the upcoming Purple and Blue Lines, as those are being constructed. This material is designed so bus tires can rub against it as they approach the station, which provides the operator with a guide for pulling as close as possible to the platform without damaging the side of the bus or the platform. This will also give operators a better tool for achieving ADA-compliant boarding.
Construction is expected to last through summer 2023.
