Signs of the Super Bowl

By Tom Spalding

One of the more confusing exits leading to Downtown Indianapolis is getting a makeover starting tonight, and you can thank 2012 Super Bowl for helping straighten things out.

Weather permitting, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Indianapolis Department of Public Works crews will begin installing new signs along Interstate 70 so that Exit 79B points towards Meridian Street, instead of McCarty Street.

McCarty is an east-west street, while Meridian runs north-south and would take visitors to nightclubs, places to eat and, of course, Lucas Oil Stadium and related attractions.

Locals may have grown accustomed to bunched-up cluster of ramps and spin-off roads, but for an outsider, it can be maddening.

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"The road names (in that section) are not continuous," said INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield, whose agency is replacing eight signs altogether that involve McCarty. "It's to reduce confusion and put the best face on Indianapolis as possible for people visiting out city."

Access to the roads won't change -- just the directional signs.

“These new interstate signs will make traveling to Downtown easier,” added Tamara Zahn, Indianapolis Downtown Inc. president. “Drivers exiting onto Meridian Street will have convenient access to Downtown's businesses and attractions.”

From our archives: It's ours! Indianapolis scores 2012 Super Bowl

Officials planning for the 2012 Super Bowl identified the Meridian Street thoroughfare -- the city's north-south street that is lined with shops, restaurants and hotels -- as the preferred gateway to downtown Indianapolis.

In the future, additional signage is planned along I-65, I-70 and I-465 to help direct motorists to Indianapolis International Airport.

“With INDOT review and planning for the Super Bowl in 2012, signage became a concern as we will have a larger number of out-of-town visitors,” said INDOT Chief of Staff Robert L. Zier in a statement today. “Although we hope that the Colts are in the game that day, we anticipate travelers coming to Indianapolis who may not be familiar with the city and its layout.”

Nearby businesses are asked to join this effort by updating directions that may be included on their Web sites or printed materials. The sign changes have also been reported to global positioning systems and Web-mapping providers NAVTEQ, TeleAtlas and Google Maps.