Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[SSF]

Well as of yesterday, they are still up on Veterans Memorial.  There are at least 2 shields up, on the 1 mile and the 1/2 mile  exit to 41 signs.

[jnewkirk77]

Well as of yesterday, they are still up on Veterans Memorial.  There are at least 2 shields up, on the 1 mile and the 1/2 mile  exit to 41 signs.

If that's the case, those are the responsibility of the city of Evansville, not INDOT.

[Captain Jack]

Well as of yesterday, they are still up on Veterans Memorial.  There are at least 2 shields up, on the 1 mile and the 1/2 mile  exit to 41 signs.

If that's the case, those are the responsibility of the city of Evansville, not INDOT.

I have driven the route a few times in the last couple of weeks. It appears that they started at I-64 and are working their way south. I would suspect all of them will be changed within the next week or so.

As for control cities, there hasn't been a north bound one for the entire length of the completed section since it opened. I wouldn't expect one in Evansville until they are put in on the rest of the route. Once the road is completed to SR 37, there really isn't any reason you couldn't start using Indianapolis for a north bound control city.  There also isn't a single mileage sign in either direction, other than exit mileage along the former 164 in Evansville.

[mukade]

Another Google Maps error (as of 12/3/2014) shows I-69 complete to Bloomington.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0015008,-86.7616485,39485m/data=!3m1!1e3

[dfwmapper]

Another Google Maps error (as of 12/3/2014) shows I-69 complete to Bloomington.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0015008,-86.7616485,39485m/data=!3m1!1e3

That looks like a rendering bug. It's still marked as construction status of started and hasn't been modified in several months. If you zoom in a few levels it will change from orange to gray, and if you check Map view it shows up correctly. Use the Report a problem link at the bottom to bitch at them.

[US 41]

Well as of yesterday, they are still up on Veterans Memorial.  There are at least 2 shields up, on the 1 mile and the 1/2 mile  exit to 41 signs.

If that's the case, those are the responsibility of the city of Evansville, not INDOT.

I have driven the route a few times in the last couple of weeks. It appears that they started at I-64 and are working their way south. I would suspect all of them will be changed within the next week or so.

As for control cities, there hasn't been a north bound one for the entire length of the completed section since it opened. I wouldn't expect one in Evansville until they are put in on the rest of the route. Once the road is completed to SR 37, there really isn't any reason you couldn't start using Indianapolis for a north bound control city.  There also isn't a single mileage sign in either direction, other than exit mileage along the former 164 in Evansville.

I think they should use Bloomington and Indianapolis both as control cities for northbound traffic. There's really no reason not to. Same for southbound traffic from Indy to Bloomington. I would use Bloomington and Evansville as the control cities.

Now since they probably won't take my advice I have a question. Do you think there's a chance Memphis might be used as a control city for southbound I-69 traffic from Indianapolis?

[hbelkins]

Now since they probably won't take my advice I have a question. Do you think there's a chance Memphis might be used as a control city for southbound I-69 traffic from Indianapolis?

Doubtful. The whole idea behind I-69 in Indiana was a direct route from Indy to Evansville.

[codyg1985]

^ It may beEvansville and not Bloomington, but I do think the NB control city from Evansville is Bloomington.

[andy]

Section 5 now has some real information on the web site;
http://www.i69section5.org/

I was particularly interested in the construction overview.  I was under the impression the 2nd street interchange was going to be re-built, but this show no planned construction for it other than a sound barrier.
http://i2-69s5.rhcloud.com/doc/20141023_ConstructionOverview_v9_final(2-8.5x11).pdf

Other than that, much of the discussion centered on aesthetics.

[US 41]

Section 5 now has some real information on the web site;
http://www.i69section5.org/

I was particularly interested in the construction overview.  I was under the impression the 2nd street interchange was going to be re-built, but this show no planned construction for it other than a sound barrier.
http://i2-69s5.rhcloud.com/doc/20141023_ConstructionOverview_v9_final(2-8.5x11).pdf

Other than that, much of the discussion centered on aesthetics.

I thought it was too. I also thought Vernal Pike would go under SR 37.

[silverback1065]

It probably was but was cut due to funding issues

[tdindy88]

I suspected that the SR 45 interchange is staying as it is for the same reason that the SR 48 interchange is remaining the same, no reason to build a whole new interchange. They just wanted to combine SR 45 with Tapp Road, but here they are doing the two as separate interchanges with an auxiliary lane in between. As for Vernal Pike, I always that thought that would be an overpass.

[thefro]

A reporter from the Bloomington Herald-Times was given a tour of Section 4 construction and has the photos posted on his Twitter account
https://twitter.com/MichaelReschke/media

[thefro]

http://indianaeconomicdigest.com/Main.asp?SectionID=31&SubSectionID=135&ArticleID=77505

Progress on I-69 Section 4 inching along in Monroe County

Michael Reschke, Herald-Times

It's the end of 2014 and Section 4 of Interstate 69 is nowhere near being done.

Where the interstate is supposed to connect to Ind. 37, light poles stand on the edges of a dirt path. Where the highway is supposed to cross over Rockport Road, metal beams stick up into the sky with nothing on top of them. And Harmony Road, which is supposed to cross over the interstate, has a gap in it so large the trucks in the valley below look like toys.

With much of the route still unpaved, it might seem like construction crews have just been pushing dirt around for the past few months. That's actually not too far from the truth, but it's a little more complicated than simply digging and dumping.

When Sections 1 through 3 were opened to traffic at the end of 2012, the Indiana Department of Transportation still expected Section 4 to be finished by December of this year.

"It wasn't an unrealistic goal,"  said Chriss Jobe, construction area engineer for Section 4. "But it was aggressive."

So was the goal for the first three sections, but Mother Nature was a little more cooperative. A historic drought and a mild winter allowed construction to stay on schedule. Crews on Section 4, the 27-mile stretch from Naval Surface Activity Crane to Bloomington, had to cope with an exceptionally wet spring in 2013 followed by some of the coldest temperatures the area has seen in two decades that winter. This year has also been pretty wet, and all that moisture makes building a highway difficult.

[US 41]

Bloomington is planning on extending the Bloomington Bypass (currently 45 and 46 on the NE side of Bloomington). They want to 4 lane Fullerton Pike and connect it to Rhorer Road (there is a gap between the two roads now). Then a roundabout is going to be built at Rhorer Road and Sare Road. From there the bypass will go north along Sare Road and meet 46 near the mall.

They are also considering just creating a new two lane road connecting Fullerton Pike and Rhorer Road and just building a new roundabout at Sare Road and Rhorer Road. This would not include 4 laning anything.

Hopefully they build it as a 4 lane road. I think sooner or later they would have to anyways.

[SSF]

Went through Evansville last night, and now there is only one 164 sign up on Veterans Memorial.  The very first one closest to downtown is left next to all the nicer old houses.  The guidance signs have been changed at the 1 mile and 1/2 mile marks.

[tdindy88]

Traveled that way yesterday (through Evansville) and must have missed that 164 shield. It must just be hanging around until someone remembers to get it as I saw no indication that there was any part of I-164 left, despite some thinking that a small stretch of highway would remain that. There was a yellow "End" sign that had the I-164 shield out with no replacement, but probably could have a I-69 shield. Then again that isn't the permanent ending of the highway. Now that I think of it I don't think I saw an "End I-69" shield anywhere. I only went southbound so I couldn't see if there was a "begin" shield.

In other news, I could clearing taking place around Tapp Road and Fullerton Pike along SR 37 so it's only a matter of time before work begins along Section 5. Not much I could see north of SR 48 other than small flags in the median of the highway. Road closures and such begin in January along that stretch of highway. It will be cool to see that stretch develop over the course of the new year.

[SSF]

Traveled that way yesterday (through Evansville) and must have missed that 164 shield. It must just be hanging around until someone remembers to get it as I saw no indication that there was any part of I-164 left, despite some thinking that a small stretch of highway would remain that. There was a yellow "End" sign that had the I-164 shield out with no replacement, but probably could have a I-69 shield. Then again that isn't the permanent ending of the highway. Now that I think of it I don't think I saw an "End I-69" shield anywhere. I only went southbound so I couldn't see if there was a "begin" shield.

In other news, I could clearing taking place around Tapp Road and Fullerton Pike along SR 37 so it's only a matter of time before work begins along Section 5. Not much I could see north of SR 48 other than small flags in the median of the highway. Road closures and such begin in January along that stretch of highway. It will be cool to see that stretch develop over the course of the new year.

td-it is just a shield and an arrow pointing towards (former) 164 and is next to a similar 64 shield.

[Pete from Boston]

As of last week, puttering around Evansville:

New I-69 signs
Some of these photos may be too grainy to show the dirty outline of 164 shields poking out around the new 69 ones.

Eastbound Veterans Memorial Parkway




Lloyd Expwy. eastbound, east of Boeke



Remaining I-164 signs
Newburgh


Exiting good old Dress Regional


North Green River Road, heading southbound at the Lloyd


Riverside Dr.

[SSF]

Pete-drove through there at night, you could see from the grime on the old signs where the new additions were made that is for sure. 

and that last pic is the assembly i was talking about.

[Pete from Boston]

All the 69 shields stand out by their greater reflectivity, the "I-69" mileage patches on the Lloyd even more so.

[andy]

I drove through Bloomington today.  As promised by year (2014) end, SR 37 is now on what will be the south bound SR 37 overpass.

I don't have a picture, but there are several sign gantry parts stage on the old south bound lanes.

I69 doesn't have gravel/ pavement /concrete, but the dirt work looks good.

Also, the last few days the project website http://www.i69indyevn.org/ forwards to the Indiana DOT site. None of the old links produce valid pages.

[silverback1065]

I drove through Bloomington today.  As promised by year (2014) end, SR 37 is now on what will be the south bound SR 37 overpass.

I don't have a picture, but there are several sign gantry parts stage on the old south bound lanes.

I69 doesn't have gravel/ pavement /concrete, but the dirt work looks good.

Also, the last few days the project website http://www.i69indyevn.org/ forwards to the Indiana DOT site. None of the old links produce valid pages.

Is the new overpass 2 lanes wide?

[andy]

I drove through Bloomington today.  As promised by year (2014) end, SR 37 is now on what will be the south bound SR 37 overpass.

I don't have a picture, but there are several sign gantry parts stage on the old south bound lanes.

I69 doesn't have gravel/ pavement /concrete, but the dirt work looks good.

Also, the last few days the project website http://www.i69indyevn.org/ forwards to the Indiana DOT site. None of the old links produce valid pages.

Is the new overpass 2 lanes wide?

Yes. 37 is temporarily two lanes for the construction.

Just east is another overpass for what I presume is 37N to 69S which looks narrower. I was driving, so I didn't get a good look.

[mukade]

With more than 100 karst features between the right of ways along Section 4 of Interstate 69, drainage is a big concern. The Indiana Department of Transportation doesn't want runoff from the construction site...

Drainage big concern in I-69 construction because of karst features along route (Indiana Economic Digest)