IU Health Announces Street Closings Around Methodist Campus

Downtown Indianapolis commuters will see temporary street and lane closures around the Methodist Hospital campus.

Methodist/University Hospital Chief Operating Officer Parveen Chand said the traffic changes are needed for utility work to prepare for construction of a new $1.6 billion IU Health downtown hospital and expanded Methodist campus.

“The key really here is minimizing disruption and not causing any delays in patient care,” Chand said.

The utility work will not impact the main Senate Avenue entrance to Methodist Hospital or access to the main parking garages used by patients and visitors.

“IU Health, along with our utility partners and the city of Indianapolis, are dedicated to minimizing any disruptions to our patients and our neighbors during the utility construction period and beyond,” Chand said.

The utility work on 16th Street requires IU Health to build a temporary access road to the emergency department for patients and EMS vehicles. That will be in place beginning September. 22 until early March. 

Chand said the new hospital, which combines operations of Methodist and nearby University Hospital, is slated to open in 2026.

“Despite everything going on with COVID, the team working on this project is still on schedule,” Chand said.

The 44-acre expanded campus will also include research and education facilities for the IU School of Medicine.

Here are the restrictions:

• Lane restrictions on the westbound lane of 16th Street through Aug.30, and on the eastbound lane of 16th Street from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4.
• Closing of portions of Missouri Street, Senate Avenue and 16th Street from Sept. 22 to Jan. 25, 2022.
• Closing of the intersection of Capitol Avenue and 16th Street to north-south or east-west traffic from Dec. 22 to Jan. 25, 2022.
• Closing of a portion of Capitol Avenue from Dec. 22 to March 7, 2022.
• Closing of sidewalks at times along 16th Street, Capitol Avenue and other nearby streets due to construction activity.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Taylor Bennett at tbennett@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @TaylorB2213.