Rethink Coalition Consulting Party Comprehensive Report of Observations and Requests regarding the I-65 Safety & Efficiency Project
Context
Indianapolis Interstate Inner Loop
The five‑mile Indianapolis Interstate Inner Loop forms a partially elevated and partially recessed ring around three sides of downtown. It is not a spur, but the shared mainline for I‑65 (Great Lakes to Gulf Coast) and I‑70 (Baltimore to Utah), carrying significant regional and national through traffic.
Its wide right‑of‑way—created by multiple through lanes and connector‑distributor roads—severed the traditional street grid, fragmented neighborhoods, and continues to impose social, economic, and environmental impacts. The mixing of local, commuter, and long‑distance traffic has also produced persistent congestion at this critical junction of local and national transportation systems.
Now nearing the end of its service life, the Inner Loop has been studied repeatedly. Most efforts, however, have addressed interstate components in isolation, rather than treating the corridor as an integrated local–interstate system.
SKA’s Role
Storrow Kinsella Associates (SKA) has served as a transportation planning consultant to the Rethink Coalition since 2017, following encouragement from former Indianapolis DMD Director Bob Kennedy to engage in review of INDOT’s North Split project. Working with neighborhood stakeholders and property owners, SKA helped support the formation of Rethink as a community‑based advocate focused on the Inner Loop as a whole—not just individual projects.
SKA‑Supported Rethink Efforts
2017–2023: North Split Reconstruction
SKA supported a grassroots response to INDOT’s original North Split design, contributing to changes that reduced the project footprint, lowered wall heights, and preserved future feasibility for recessed or capped solutions. Construction began in 2020 and was substantially completed in 2023.
2018: Downtown I‑65/I‑70 Strategic Advisory
Analysis of economic development opportunities and funding approaches related to long‑term Inner Loop reconstruction.
2021: Inner Loop Total Value Report
Comparative evaluation of rebuilding the Inner Loop as‑is versus a recessed urban freeway with multimodal boulevards, restored street connectivity, and new development opportunities.
2022–2023: I‑65 Safety & Efficiency (SAFE) Project
SKA contributed technical analysis and community‑informed recommendations to ensure that near‑term safety and operational improvements along I‑65 south of downtown would not preclude future transformative reconstruction of the Inner Loop and Southeast Gateway.
2023: USDOT Reconnecting Communities Grant
SKA assisted Rethink in securing a Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant—one of only two awarded nationally to nonprofit applicants.
2023–2026: Southeast Gateway Planning Study
As part of the Reconnecting Communities grant, SKA provided technical leadership for the Southeast Gateway Study, exploring long‑term solutions for the southern Inner Loop adjacent to Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, and Bates‑Hendricks. The study reframes the corridor as a local/interstate nexus, evaluating concepts such as recessing, capping, and footprint reduction to restore connectivity, support redevelopment, and advance equity while maintaining interstate function.
Core SKA Contributions
- Technical evaluation of INDOT interstate proposals
- Design review of bridges, interchanges, and corridor elements
- Translating community listening into implementable recommendations
- Assessment of alternatives including recessed segments, strategic caps, and reduced footprints
How SKA Supports Rethink’s Vision
SKA’s work ensures that Inner Loop redesign options meet transportation needs while aligning with community priorities. This includes improving safety, restoring neighborhood connections, reducing environmental burdens, and unlocking land for development and green space.
SKA’s guiding objective
A downtown interstate system that is safer, less intrusive, more connected, and more equitable, supporting Rethink Coalition’s long‑term vision for a recessed, capped, and community‑integrated Inner Loop.
More information and updates: < https://rethink65-70.org/