Motorists should begin preparing for a road closure and lane restrictions in the area of 116th Street and Lantern Road in coming weeks.  Fishers Director of Engineering Hatem Mekky told the Board of Works and Public Safety the water utility, Citizens Energy, will be working on underground equipment, making way for the under-construction City View development.  This closure is scheduled to begin Saturday, January 11 and end at 5am the following Monday.  The city will be recommending detours for the area of 116th Street between Lantern Road and Municipal Drive during this period.

A second phase of work by Citizens Energy will require the closure of the Lantern Road southbound lane later in January.  This phase of work will be 9am-3pm.  Phase 3 will come later and work will happen 9am-3pm.

Mekky says this will reduce the need to close traffic to the area, which originally was scheduled to last 7-10 days.

In a related item, AT&T will have a road cut resulting in lane restrictions at 116th Street and Allisonville Road beginning January 7th, and continuing that week.  Police will be directing traffic and there will be signage guiding drivers in the area.  This is in preparation for the coming roundabout construction at that intersection.

In other items before the board at the December 20th session:

–A public hearing was held to approve the public-private partnership between the city and Meyer Najem to construct a park on the White River near 96th Street and Allisonville Road.  The board originally approved the item in October, but did not provide the public hearing as required by law.  The only public comment was critical of the city for not holding the public hearing in a timely manner.  The board again approved the agreement.

–A pedestrian path connecting the Forum Credit Union headquarters with Fishers District and the Event Center will have lighting to help those walking in the dark.  It is hoped the illumination will discourage people from walking along the nearby streets.  The board approved a lighting easement to allow for this installation.

–The city has completed improvements to two areas of private roads under the Barrett Law, which assesses property owners located on the roads for the cost of improving the streets, and the city then takes the roads into the municipal inventory for future maintenance.  The board approved accepting two areas of private roads into the city inventory now that improvements are done.  One is described as Barrett East, including private roads of Parkside Drive, Publishers Drive, and Enterprise Drive.  The second area, labeled Barrett West, takes in private roads of Britton Park Road, Trade Center Drive, and East Park Court.