IndyGo Accelerates Construction on 24-Mile Blue Line Rapid Transit to Indianapolis Airport as City-County Council Reviews Capital Plans

Full-Scale Civil Construction Underway on 24-Mile Blue Line BRT

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Marking an essential expansion of Central Indiana's rapid transit network, IndyGo mobilized heavy construction crews in late September 2026 across major segments of the 24-mile Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Stretching from Cumberland on the far east side through downtown Indianapolis and terminating directly at Indianapolis International Airport (IND), the Blue Line is the third and longest arterial transit line in the city's voter-approved Marion County Transit Plan.

Active construction packages are focused along the historic Washington Street corridor (U.S. 40), where contractors are executing deep utility relocations, upgrading century-old stormwater drainage pipes, and constructing dedicated center-running transit lanes. Targeted detours between Holt Road and the White River are maintaining vehicular flow while paving operations advance toward a late 2028 opening date.

City-County Council Reviews Infrastructure Safeguards and Complete Streets

During municipal committee hearings at the City-County Building, the Indianapolis City-County Council’s Municipal Corporations Committee conducted oversight reviews of IndyGo’s 2027 capital and operational budgets. Transit administrators highlighted that in addition to zero-emission electric buses and rapid transit service, the Blue Line investment delivers over $100 million in local infrastructure enhancements along Washington Street.

Upgrades encompass newly paved roadway surfaces, continuous ADA-compliant sidewalks, crosswalk signals with pedestrian countdowns, and modern median street lighting. These complete-street elements will dramatically curtail traffic accidents and revitalize commercial storefronts across West and East Indianapolis neighborhoods.

Purple Line Demonstrates Record System Ridership Following Launch

The Blue Line construction builds upon the verified operational success of IndyGo's Purple Line, which opened in late 2024 along 38th Street connecting downtown with the City of Lawrence. Transit analytics show the Purple Line has emerged as one of the agency’s highest ridership routes, providing dependable 10-minute frequencies for medical workers, university students, and daily commuters.

IndyGo and municipal leaders commended frontline construction workers and neighborhood merchants, affirming that connecting the international airport with downtown and outer suburbs via rapid transit establishes a sustainable foundation for Marion County prosperity.