Hazel Dell bridge demolition set as Carmel marks one month since historic flooding

INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam gave residents a detailed update this week on flood recovery efforts, one month after historic flooding swept through the city.

According to Finkam, here’s where things stand:

The City’s 30-inch raw water main remains out of service, leaving three wells disconnected.

In the meantime, Finkam says a temporary connection is currently in the works while they develop permanent solutions. “We are meeting current water demand and have stored water available,” Finkam said.

The 12-inch water main will be reconnected with the bridge and road reconstruction. Finkam says the city will move forward with a new six-inch line along 96th street to serve the wastewater plant.

Blue Woods Creek needs to be rerouted, and Finkam says its future path is still being evaluated. Once that’s determined, the city plans to lower and reinforce two wastewater force mains to guard against future erosion. Early testing on those mains showed they’re in good shape.

Hamilton County will begin demolishing the damaged Hazel Dell bridge next week. The city has already opened a new roundabout at 106th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway to help ease traffic during reconstruction.

Hazel Landing Park remains closed.

“Our goal isn’t to put things back together exactly as they were, but to rebuild them to be more resilient,” Finkam wrote.

Hazel Dell Parkway was wiped out by flooding along the White River in August, threatening the city’s water main. Hamilton County officials previously said repairs will take about 60 days, with construction expected to finish by end of 2027.

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