Three Awards Across One Corridor
IndyGo’s Board of Directors awarded almost $250 million in construction contracts for the Blue Line on December 19, 2024. Three central Indiana firms took one package each after competing bids.
Gradex Inc. took Package A at a bid of approximately $208 million. Package A carries the roadway elements: stormwater and drainage improvements, pavement resurfacing, pedestrian facilities, traffic signal upgrades and sanitary sewer relocations.
F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. took Package B at approximately $34 million for the stations. Wilhelm built the Red Line and Purple Line stations on earlier jobs.
R.L. Turner Co. took Package C at approximately $6 million for the East Side Mobility Hub. IndyGo describes the hub as an offsite facility at the east end of the project that provides transfer connections between the Blue Line and other local routes.
The three accepted bids total almost $250 million. The money buys work that runs through 2028.
The Funding Split
IndyGo states that local and federal sources fund the project. The federal side carries a $150 million Small Starts grant from the Federal Transit Administration and almost $22 million from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Utility companies received notices in the fall of 2024 to relocate facilities in conflict with the design. The contract release names no disconnection window.
The Delivery Schedule
The project page sets the sequence. Design finished in September 2024. Groundbreaking came in February 2025. Construction began in the second quarter of 2025. Service starts in late 2028.
The line runs 24 miles from Indianapolis International Airport to the Town of Cumberland by way of downtown. It carries 30 stations at half-mile to one-mile spacing. Construction impacts run between 2025 and 2028 across 12 construction areas. The route follows IndyGo’s current Route 8 along Washington Street from Cumberland west to the airport.
What the Schedule Does to a Booking Window
A rate and availability decision on the Washington Street corridor now runs against a published construction calendar. IndyGo announces each closure one to three weeks ahead by weekly email. A property on the corridor can name a drop-off point or an arrival route inside that window alone.
The current segments are published. Maryland and Washington streets from West Street to Capitol Avenue carry lane closures for curb ramps, pedestrian improvements and station construction. One lane stays open in each direction. Washington Street between Belmont Avenue and the White River Bridge carries one lane each way. East of downtown, Washington Street is closed to eastbound traffic from Southeastern Avenue to State Avenue.
Local access to homes and businesses stays open through the work. Deaon Smith and Alexis Craft serve as neighborhood liaisons during business hours. Clarence Underwood holds the construction community outreach coordinator role, at cunderwood@jqolusa.com and 317-721-4633.
What the Capital Buys at Street Level
More than half the budget addresses the condition of the roadway, pedestrian facilities and stormwater drainage. The published counts are 63 new or upgraded traffic signals, 2.3 miles of new or refreshed crosswalks, 9.7 miles of new or replaced sidewalk, 359 new or upgraded ADA curb ramps and 46.5 lane miles of resurfacing.
The transit side buys 30 in-median stations with digital arrival screens, level ADA access, step-free platforms, lighting, security cameras and emergency phones. The vehicles are 60-foot articulated clean-diesel buses with doors on either side and onboard bicycle storage. Transit-only lanes and signal priority hold the service through congestion. Peak headway is 15 to 20 minutes.
What the Record Does Not Publish
No month inside 2028 is published for the opening. No reconciliation between the awarded package values and the total project estimates is published. IndyGo has published no bay count, layover provision or coach holding area for the East Side Mobility Hub.
Hold the corridor’s booking window against the published segment notices. Ask IndyGo for the opening month and the running time.