White River in Noblesville open wide again for boaters at new Pleasant Street bridge
As construction of a new bridge over the White River at Pleasant Street nears completion, the river is once again wide-open to tubers, canoeists and kayakers.
Navigation under the bridge had been squeezed to a sliver since the bridgework started two years ago as part of the $113 million Pleasant Street reconstruction project. The roadwork will add roundabouts on Pleasant Street from State Road 37 to Hague Road. The bridge and the project's first phase from River Road to 11th Street is scheduled to finish and open by the end of 2024. The final two phases should be completed by the end of 2025.
Noblesville spokesman Robert Herrington said the river is now fully open because the bridge columns are complete, though work has to be done on the deck. Boaters are still warned that they are in a construction zone.
Brian Cooley, owner of White River Canoe Co. in Noblesville said the restricted access didn’t cause the company to alter the route of any excursions.
More: Downtown Noblesville road to close for four months. Find out where.
“Last year they did a good a job of keeping part of it open and alerting us what the status was so we could adjust," he said.
The new bridge will provide commuters with a third passage over the White River in downtown; Logan Street and Conner Street also cross the river. Another bride will be built over Cicero Creek as part of the project.
Before work on the white River bridge could start, crews first had to dismantle an abandoned iron truss Midland railroad bridge. That bridge had been closed since 1982 and is being stored at Conner Prairie in case a city wants to use it in the future.
The Pleasant Street project is one of several underway in Hamilton County this summer.
Noblesville is also rebuilding State Road 32 from just west of State Road 37 to across the White River. Conner Street closed April 1 for four months between 6th and 16th streets in the first phase. The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2024.
On the Fishers-Noblesville border, the Hamilton County Highway Department is building a roundabout and overpass intersection at 146th Street and Allisonville Road. The construction has closed Allisonville to all traffic around the project until the end of May.
And Fishers will begin work at the end of the summer building a roundabout intersection at State Road 37 and 141st Street. The crossing will be the last of several converted to roundabouts in a $160 million project that makes the road an expressway-style thoroughfare from 116th Street to 146th Street.
The intersection is scheduled to be finished at the end of 2025.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on X/Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: White River in Noblesville open for boaters at Pleasant Street bridge
