College Avenue to shut downtown weeks

College Avenue in downtown Bloomington is set to close for nearly four weeks starting June 30 as crews finish enclosing the skybridge linking the old and new sections of the Bloomington Convention Center. The closure will affect College Avenue south of Third Street and will include the western sidewalk and the existing eastern pedestrian diversion, according to reporting by The Herald-Times. The work is tied to the city’s $71 million convention center expansion, a project overseen by the Monroe County Capital Improvement Board. The broader expansion is expected to be completed in January 2027. ### Which stretch of downtown is closing, and for how long? June 30 through July 24, 2026, is the planned window for the full closure of College Avenue south of Third Street, according to The Herald-Times’ June 2 report. The closure is meant to give construction crews room to complete the enclosure of the skybridge spanning the street between the existing convention center and the expansion to the east. (heraldtimesonline.com) College Avenue has already been operating under earlier construction restrictions. City inRoads records show the eastern southbound lane of College Avenue has been under a lane restriction tied to curb and sidewalk reconstruction from Feb. 13 through June 26, 2026. ### Why is the city shutting the road again after the January closure? January 26 through Feb. 12, 2026, was the first full closure used to install the skybridge structure itself. (heraldtimesonline.com) Kendall Knoke, a project engineer with Bloomington’s engineering department, said at the time the closure would begin after the morning rush, and city officials said the work was needed so Weddle Brothers could install the bridge over College Avenue. (bloomington.in.gov) This summer’s closure is for the next phase: enclosing that skybridge. A city spokeswoman told The Herald-Times the June 30 to July 24 shutdown will allow crews to complete the enclosure between the old and new portions of the convention center. ### Who approved the closure, and who is doing the work? The Bloomington Board of Public Works was scheduled to take up the closure request on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, according to The Herald-Times. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) The request came from Weddle Brothers, the contractor overseeing the convention center expansion. Board of Public Works meeting records on the city’s website list a June 2 meeting, and the city’s public meeting archive also shows a June 2 Board of Public Works session. (heraldtimesonline.com) Weddle Brothers has been handling construction management on the broader project since work began in 2025. A community information flyer issued for the expansion listed Weddle Bros. Building Group as construction manager and said the project team expected the expanded facility to open in January 2027. ### How big is the convention center project? (heraldtimesonline.com) The Bloomington Convention Center expansion carries a $71 million price tag, according to The Herald-Times and the Indiana Daily Student. The current convention center opened in 1991 and contains about 31,000 square feet, while the new building under construction adds a separate facility across College Avenue connected by the skybridge. (bloomdocs.org) Monroe County Councilmember David Henry told the Indiana Daily Student that funding for the expansion comes from the local 1% food and beverage tax, while construction costs are being paid from revenue bond proceeds. The Monroe County Capital Improvement Board was created in 2023 to oversee the project after earlier expansion planning stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic. ### What happens after the full closure ends? (heraldtimesonline.com) July 24 is the planned end date for the full shutdown, after which one southbound lane is expected to reopen until January 2027, according to the preliminary closure details cited by The Herald-Times. Earlier project schedules have shown the city moving from full closures to partial lane restrictions as different phases of the skybridge and street work were completed. (idsnews.com) January 2027 remains the target for finishing the expansion, according to the project flyer and local coverage. City records, Board of Public Works postings and the inRoads construction map are expected to carry the next public updates as the College Avenue work moves into its next traffic phase. (bloomdocs.org) (heraldtimesonline.com)