The U.S. 31 Hamilton County project is intended to reduce congestion and improve safety according to school resource officer Phil Hobson. However, it is currently under construction, having many effects on CHS students.

“The recent construction has made me completely change the route I take to school,” senior Ashley Sipe said. “I used to take 146th and cut through Clay Terrace, but the light at Meridian is so backed up that I now take West Carmel Drive to Rangeline.”

Similar to the Keystone project that was completed in 2011, U.S. 31 shuts down parts of the highway during certain hours of the day.

“It has a drastic effect on our traffic flow in the mornings when you have one of your access points shut down and Main Street is basically completely closed,” Hobson said. “It routes traffic in other directions.”

Hobson said that initially there were a few issues with kids showing up late, not making it to school on time or buses being caught in traffic. But people have adjusted by coming up with an alternative route to school.

“I live on the west side of Carmel, in the Village of West Clay, and I can get to the school in around 10 minutes when there is no traffic, for example in the middle of the day,” Sipe said. “However, with morning rush hour, and all the construction, it now takes me almost 20 minutes to get to school. I’ve heard that the construction is being conducted in order to allow people to get to 146th Street off of Meridian. If that is true, I think in the long run it most definitely will benefit drivers, but until then it has been extremely frustrating.”

For now, there isn’t much that can be done about the construction except for to wait it out.

“I’d recommend patience and give a lot of extra time for yourself,” Hobson said. “Just know until it’s done, it’ll be an inconvenience. But how it is on Keystone now, it’s awesome driving…without having to stop every half-mile. I think Meridian will be the same when it’s done.”