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Carmel approves plans to build 28 new roundabouts over the course of the next five years

CHS students evaluate effects of neighborhood construction on environment

Among plans for continued expansion and construction, the city of Carmel plans to construct 14 new roundabouts in 2017. According to an article by Current in Carmel, four of these roundabouts will be along 96th Street, with others planned for Carmel Drive, Gray Road and 116th Street.

Joshua Kirsh, engineering administrator and planning commissioner for the city, said, “Carmel is literally going through one of its largest infrastructure improvements, probably in recorded history, maybe ever in the future.”

According to Kirsh, installing more roundabouts improves the flow of traffic and shortens commute times, and it reduces upkeep costs, pollution and the risk and danger of an accident.

“When (engineers studied) Keystone (Parkway), they had established that there (were) maybe a couple vehicular deaths a year on Keystone. There may not be another two people who die on Keystone in the next 20 years (because of these roundabouts),” Kirsh said.

Senior Michael Azer said, “(Roundabouts are) making things a lot easier. The traffic lights aren’t there. It just makes it a lot easier for the cars to move and to be able to get to your destination faster.”

Despite the many long-term benefits, Kirsh said the construction comes with few short-term benefits.

“People have a really hard time understanding that for 30 or 60 days, their commute is going to be inconvenienced. The second that the roundabout is open, I am flooded with ‘Thank you, my life just got better,’” Kirsh said. “If everyone can just try to be patient through the next 20 or so months, I think everybody’s going to see the light at the end of the tunnel on this, and I think that everybody’s going to feel really good about it in the end.”