Roundabout Construction Kicks Off in Lapel, Indiana

Work has finally broken ground on the first of several roundabout projects slated for Madison County, and the site is right in the heart of Lapel. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) just handed a $3.9 million contract to E&B Paving to transform the current stop‑controlled intersection of Ind. 32 and County Road 925 West into a single‑lane, modern roundabout.

What does that actually mean for drivers? In plain English, the stop signs you’re used to will disappear, replaced by a circular roadway that guides traffic around a central island. The design isn’t just about aesthetics; new road alignments, upgraded drainage, brighter lighting, fresh signage, and some landscaping are all part of the package. It’s a bit of a makeover, really.

Jordan Yaney, public‑relations director for INDOT’s Greenfield District, says crews are set to roll up their sleeves in mid‑August. The construction window is expected to stretch up to three months, during which Ind. 32 will be closed at two points: the intersection with County Road 900 West for traffic heading toward Noblesville, and the junction with Ind. 13 for vehicles bound for Anderson.

Local officials are eager to see the project through quickly. “They want to get the project done as soon as possible because of the proximity to the high school,” explained Jerry Bridges, executive director of the Madison County Council of Governments. The primary goal, as he put it, is to “reduce the number of crashes resulting in deaths or serious injuries.” He added that roundabouts have a proven record of lowering both fatal and severe‑injury crashes.

Budget‑wise, the $3.9 million covers not only the construction but also the purchase of the needed right‑of‑way at the intersection. Bridges noted that the state’s recent suspension of sales and gasoline taxes has left INDOT $533 million short, slowing down a handful of other projects. Still, roundabouts are relatively cheap compared to installing flashing signals, making them a fiscally savvy safety solution.

And this is just the beginning. INDOT has a handful of roundabouts in the pipeline for Madison County. A second one at the Ind. 32/Ind. 13 junction in Lapel is still in the early design stage and won’t go to bid until 2032. Other planned circles include a spot at County Road 800 South and Ind. 13 in Ingalls—right where a Walmart Supercenter is slated to rise—plus a future roundabout at Ind. 32 and County Road 600 West, projected to cost about $4.1 million.

Further down the line, the agency’s website lists even more proposals: a $7.5 million roundabout at Ind. 13 and West Eighth Street Road (construction hoped for 2027) and a U.S. 36/Reformatory Road roundabout in Ingalls, slated for 2028. All in all, INDOT’s vision is clear—swap out a scattering of stop signs and flashing lights for smoother, safer circles that keep traffic moving and, most importantly, keep people alive.