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Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

Started by mukade, June 25, 2011, 08:55:31 AM

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tdindy88

It should probably be mentioned here that I believe INDOT's original intent was to six lane only the section of SR 37 between SR 48 and SR 45 with the mention that six-laning the highway around Bloomington wasn't necessary for a while. Which is why I was surprised when the original PP3 group said they were going to six lane the highway all the way up to Sample Road. And it is indeed a good design since I see Bloomington as the one major city outside of Metropolitan Indianapolis to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

As for Breaking Away, I'm 99% sure that was between Liberty Church Road and Sample Road along 37. I've always wondered where the two-lane road bike race segments take place though.


hoosierguy

Quote from: tdindy88 on September 12, 2017, 04:55:16 PM
It should probably be mentioned here that I believe INDOT's original intent was to six lane only the section of SR 37 between SR 48 and SR 45 with the mention that six-laning the highway around Bloomington wasn't necessary for a while. Which is why I was surprised when the original PP3 group said they were going to six lane the highway all the way up to Sample Road. And it is indeed a good design since I see Bloomington as the one major city outside of Metropolitan Indianapolis to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

As for Breaking Away, I'm 99% sure that was between Liberty Church Road and Sample Road along 37. I've always wondered where the two-lane road bike race segments take place though.

Lafayette is growing at a healthy clip as well. Bloomington had double digit growth for several decades but that has leveled off a bit. It is on pace for 8-9% growth from 2010-2020. Perhaps the interstate will attract more people. Time will tell. IU's enrollment keeps growing and was at nearly 50k last fall, good for tenth in the nation.

It is smart that the state planned ahead and six-laned the highway through Bloomington. Get it out of the way now instead of comng back to it and disrupting traffic in a decade.


silverback1065

looks good, it's nice to see them widening 465 between man and 31.  don't like that tight diamond at southport road

hoosierguy

#2554
I am glad to see the gas station at SR 144 will remain because the interstate upgrade will destroy the gas stations on Ohio Street in Martinsville and Southport Road in Indy. I can't tell if the one along County Line Road will be demolished as well.

It is important to have more than one gas station between Indy and Bloomington.

Life in Paradise

I must have had my facts mixed up.  I thought that I had read that I-69 was actually going to go around Martinsville further to the east than the current IN 37 roadway so that there would not have been as much of a mess at the current intersections.  I'm fairly impressed with what they have put out here as well as the I-465 intersection.  Even though it is farther, part of me wishes that they signed I-69 on the west and north loop to even out some of the traffic.  There always seems to be a lot between I-69 and I-65 South.

hoosierguy

Quote from: Life in Paradise on September 13, 2017, 06:57:53 PM
I must have had my facts mixed up.  I thought that I had read that I-69 was actually going to go around Martinsville further to the east than the current IN 37 roadway so that there would not have been as much of a mess at the current intersections.  I'm fairly impressed with what they have put out here as well as the I-465 intersection.  Even though it is farther, part of me wishes that they signed I-69 on the west and north loop to even out some of the traffic.  There always seems to be a lot between I-69 and I-65 South.

Do you really want to send I-69 traffic to that awful interchange between 465 and 865?

Life in Paradise

Quote from: hoosierguy on September 13, 2017, 07:07:32 PM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on September 13, 2017, 06:57:53 PM
I must have had my facts mixed up.  I thought that I had read that I-69 was actually going to go around Martinsville further to the east than the current IN 37 roadway so that there would not have been as much of a mess at the current intersections.  I'm fairly impressed with what they have put out here as well as the I-465 intersection.  Even though it is farther, part of me wishes that they signed I-69 on the west and north loop to even out some of the traffic.  There always seems to be a lot between I-69 and I-65 South.

Do you really want to send I-69 traffic to that awful interchange between 465 and 865?
Forgot about that intersection.  You have a good point, although they really need to redo that intersection anyway.

tdindy88

Quote from: hoosierguy on September 13, 2017, 06:41:32 PM
I am glad to see the gas station at SR 144 will remain because the interstate upgrade will destroy the gas stations on Ohio Street in Martinsville and Southport Road in Indy. I can't tell if the one at County Line Road will be demolished as well.

It is important to have more than one gas station between Indy and Bloomington.

I keep seeing some open land in the northeast quadrant around SR 37 and Southport and the last time I was there the land was vacant. I think this would be a good spot to relocate all the businesses that would be demolished to build the Southport Road interchange, gas station included. Do something like what they ended up doing with US 31 and SR 32 in Westfield, tearing down the businesses and rebuilding them just down the road from the new exit. I figure Martinsville will do some work like this too, moving a few businesses to the west of Burton Lane over to SR 39 and up and around the SR 44/252 interchange.

As for the tight diamond interchange for Southport, that's probably the best way to go there anyway, especially since very few people will have to be moved. I'm okay with Steak n Shake having to move as opposed to families being forced to find new housing. Good choice on that one. I've heard the number of relocations has dropped considerably with these refinements.

hoosierguy

#2559
I feel bad for the businesses located along the Fairview Road/SR 37 intersection. They are pretty SOL.

I wonder if INDOT considered using the same interchange design as the one built at 106th Street and I-69 in Fishers. It required very little ROW.

There is a gas station north of the Ohio Street/I-69 interchange, an additional one at SR 144, and upon further review the one at County Line Road isn't going to be demolished, so there are four between Bloomington and Indy. Not enough but a good start.

silverback1065

there's no way new gas stations dont pop up after construction.  even if they remove the ones there now, more will pop up in the area.

ITB

#2561
There have been some noteworthy changes to Section 6 with the release of the Refined Preferred Alternative as of September 12:

- The road will be slightly smaller as the number of lanes has been pared back between SR 144 and Smith Valley Road and between Southport Road and I-465.
- The interchange at Smith Valley will now feature a Dogbone roundabout design, replacing a diamond configuration.
- At SR 144 the interchange will be a partial folded diamond instead of a diamond.
- The overpass at Stones Crossing Road has been eliminated.
- The I-69/I-465 interchange has been shifted slightly west and compacted design wise to avoid the quarries.
- In Martinsville, a new road–Artesian Avenue–will be created to connect Grand Valley Boulevard to Mahalasville Road east of I-69.

These are some of the changes that I noticed comparing the Refined Preferred Alternative (September 12, 2017) to the Preferred Alternative (March 17, 2017). There are likely other changes, some minor, perhaps some not, that I may have overlooked.

Here's a selection of screen shots of Section 6 maps, old and new:


NEW Refined Preferred Alternative (Sept 12) SR144 and Stones Crossing Road. Note the lane reduction compared to the Preferred Alternative.


OLD Preferred Alternative (March 17) SR144 and Stones Crossing Road



NEW Refined Preferred Alternative (Sept 12) I-69/I-465 interchange. The exit ramp to I-69 south from I-465 west now appears to begin at or slightly before the SR 37-Harding Street/I-465 interchange, featuring bridges that cross over SR 37/Harding Street and the corresponding west bound entrance ramp to I-465. Note, as well, the lane reduction.


OLD Preferred Alternative )March 17) I-69/I-465 interchange.



NEW Refined Preferred Alternative (Sept 12) Smith Valley Road interchange, with dogbone roundabout design. Also, a traffic circle will be constructed at Mullinix Road, in lieu of the earlier proposal that featured an intersection and traffic light.


OLD Preferred Alternative (March 17) Smith Valley Road interchange.



NEW Refined Preferred Alternative (Sept 12) Martinsville, IN–Ohio Street interchange and new connector road, Artesian Avenue. The proposed northbound Auxiliary Lane has been eliminated as well.


OLD Preferred Alternative (March 17) Martinsville, IN–Ohio Street interchange area



NEW Refined Preferred Alternative (Sept 12) Southport Road interchange. Instead of 4 through lanes north of Southport, there is now an Auxiliary Lane up to the SR 37/Harding Street exit.


OLD Preferred Alternative (March 17) The two options for the Southport Road interchange. Alternative C4B was selected, sparing the large apartment complex, but dislocating several businesses.

Edit: Grammar corrections, minor explanatory additions.

hoosierguy

#2562
I hate the cost cutting measures. The interstate should be six lanes minimum from SR 144 to I-465 and the overpass at Stones Crossing should not have been eliminated.

Cutting corners now just leads to bigger costs in the future. For example, the state scaled back the 465/70 and 465/SR 67 interchange reconfigurations on the SW side and that area is still messed up.

Finally, the state absolutely must widen I-465 from the I-70 interchange on the east side to the new I-69 interchange on the south side to four lanes in each direction. Three lanes is not sufficient to carry a beltway and two interstates.

Henry

Quote from: hoosierguy on September 14, 2017, 06:03:03 PM
I hate the cost cutting measures. The interstate should be six lanes minimum from SR 144 to I-465 and the overpass at Stones Crossing should not have been eliminated. A big area of concern local officials had about this section was the reduction in east-west access.

Cutting corners now just leads to bigger costs in the future. For example, the state scaled back the 465/70 and 465/SR 67 interchange reconfigurations on the SW side and that area is still messed up.

Finally, the state absolutely must widen I-465 from the I-70 interchange on the east side to the new I-69 interchange on the south side to four lanes in each direction. Three lanes is not sufficient to carry a beltway and two interstates.
I couldn't agree with you more! Since I-95 was rerouted on the east side of the Capital Beltway, that half had tremendous pressure put on it, especially in the Wilson Bridge and Springfield Interchange areas, since local and long-distance traffic were now using it, but thankfully those two situations were corrected. Sure, they may have originally been built with the assumption that I-95 would proceed straight through Washington instead of ending in the middle of it, but a backup plan would've been nice for the event that the extension would be cancelled (which was 40 years ago).
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ATLRedSoxFan

Just a hypothetical thought; could I-65 and I-70 be used to carry I-69 through Indy, then thread I-69 along I-465 from I-65 south to where I-69 would meet I-465 on the south side? Just pondering...

thefro

Quote from: hoosierguy on September 14, 2017, 06:03:03 PM
I hate the cost cutting measures. The interstate should be six lanes minimum from SR 144 to I-465 and the overpass at Stones Crossing should not have been eliminated.

Cutting corners now just leads to bigger costs in the future. For example, the state scaled back the 465/70 and 465/SR 67 interchange reconfigurations on the SW side and that area is still messed up.

Finally, the state absolutely must widen I-465 from the I-70 interchange on the east side to the new I-69 interchange on the south side to four lanes in each direction. Three lanes is not sufficient to carry a beltway and two interstates.

As long as they leave room to add the lanes in later it should be fine.  The White River limits Southport/Greenwood from sprawling onto the other side of SR 37/future I-69.  Mooresville will still use SR 67.  Can't see there being huge additional traffic until I-69 is completed down to Texas or Bloomington really blows up in size.

Quote from: ATLRedSoxFan on September 15, 2017, 03:39:22 PM
Just a hypothetical thought; could I-65 and I-70 be used to carry I-69 through Indy, then thread I-69 along I-465 from I-65 south to where I-69 would meet I-465 on the south side? Just pondering...

That wouldn't be the best solution due to all the exits you'd have to make to stay on I-69.  Also they should keep another Interstate off of the I-65/I-70 section where they are both merged for a short stretch.  I-465 moves pretty smoothly outside of the NE to N sides from just S of I-69 to US 31.

Beltway

Quote from: Henry on September 15, 2017, 10:11:23 AM
I-95 was rerouted on the east side of the Capital Beltway, that half had tremendous pressure put on it, especially in the Wilson Bridge and Springfield Interchange areas, since local and long-distance traffic were now using it, but thankfully those two situations were corrected. Sure, they may have originally been built with the assumption that I-95 would proceed straight through Washington instead of ending in the middle of it, but a backup plan would've been nice for the event that the extension would be cancelled (which was 40 years ago).

I-95 was signed onto the eastern half of the Beltway in 1977.  I'm not sure how much of a difference that made in traffic volumes, as the eastern half of the Beltway was already serving as the de facto I-95 Washington bypass since was completed in 1964.
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silverback1065

When they finish the NE interchange with 69, it should be ok. 

US 41

A little out of no where, but I always thought INDOT would have I-69 tie in onto I-70 between SR 39 and SR 267 so that it would run by the international airport. It still somewhat surprises me that that wasn't what they decided to do.
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Life in Paradise

Quote from: US 41 on September 19, 2017, 05:55:31 PM
A little out of no where, but I always thought INDOT would have I-69 tie in onto I-70 between SR 39 and SR 267 so that it would run by the international airport. It still somewhat surprises me that that wasn't what they decided to do.
That had been an option, but there would have been a lot of new terrain road in that, rather than following the IN 37 footprint.  The highway would have had to more likely swing west of Martinsville onto IN 67, and then go around the subdivisions surrounding Mooresville to get to I-70.  The problem with either going west around Martinsville, or staying on 37 and then looping around on the north of Martinsville would have meant  also going through the White River bottoms and having to raise up the roadway.  More and more money.

hoosierguy

Quote from: US 41 on September 19, 2017, 05:55:31 PM
A little out of no where, but I always thought INDOT would have I-69 tie in onto I-70 between SR 39 and SR 267 so that it would run by the international airport. It still somewhat surprises me that that wasn't what they decided to do.

That would have been a bad idea. A big reason for building I-69 was to create a safer and faster route between Bloomington and Indianapolis. Moving the road to the west would not have accomplished that objective.

tdindy88

Speaking of I-69. I've noticed my Maps application on my iPhone now has all of Section 5 marked as completed interstate, while Google Maps doesn't even have the Fullerton Pike exit marked. Also, I've seen at least a couple, if not all, of the local TV stations now have the interstate marked across Monroe County and up to Martinsville.

hoosierguy

#2572
Quote from: tdindy88 on September 19, 2017, 07:26:17 PM
Speaking of I-69. I've noticed my Maps application on my iPhone now has all of Section 5 marked as completed interstate, while Google Maps doesn't even have the Fullerton Pike exit marked. Also, I've seen at least a couple, if not all, of the local TV stations now have the interstate marked across Monroe County and up to Martinsville.

All of which are dangerous and provide misleading information to drivers. I suppose we can contact the local TV stations and tell them to update their maps but the map apps are a different story. I have sent feedback to Google but nothing has changed.

hoosierguy

#2573
I read where INDOT is moving to an aggressive seven days per week construction schedule which will cause new lane restrictions on SR 37 through December 1st. It is going to mess with traffic going to Bloomington on Saturdays for football. It is clear the state wants to get this project done ASAP.

silverback1065

Quote from: hoosierguy on September 22, 2017, 10:14:30 AM
I read where INDOT is moving to an aggressive seven days per week construction schedule which will cause new lane restrictions on SR 37 through December 1st. It is going to mess with traffic going to Bloomington on Saturdays for football. It is clear the state wants to get this project done ASAP.

they announced yesterday to seek alternate routes to bloomington for football.  Idk what alternate route is better than this construction zone, if i were going to bloomington, i'd stick with 37.  46 and 135 aren't fun drives if you're just trying to get to bloomington fast.  they're great for scenic fun though!



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