US 31 --> I-67 ?

[silverback1065]

I honestly think that neither INDOT nor the lobby group pushing to upgrade 31 has ever mentioned i-67 at all.  So I'm not sure if it's even on anyone's radar.

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe this post should be moved to Fictional Highways.

[GaryV]

I honestly think that neither INDOT nor the lobby group pushing to upgrade 31 has ever mentioned i-67 at all.  So I'm not sure if it's even on anyone's radar.

And I doubt Michigan would be interested at all.  A US highway freeway is just as good as an Interstate freeway.

[silverback1065]

Even if Michigan was interested it would take 100 yrs for them to actually build the damn thing

[mukade]

US 31 from Plymouth to Peru flows very well.  To me, it would be a lot of unnecessary expense to convert that section just to be able to get an interstate designation.  There are many other projects that are much more important and need to be priorities over that.  If you want to convert the rest of what isn't done from Peru to Noblesville, I'd be fine with that and then that part could be called I-365. 

The flip side is that this section would also be the cheapest to upgrade. There are very few, if any, driveways on the road between US 24 and US 30. They would need five or six interchanges, quite a few overpasses (but this area is very lightly populated), and a bridge over that one railroad near Plymouth. So to me, the question is more about the value received from doing it.

South of US 24 to Kokomo will be much more problematic just like Tipton County.

Even if it would be relatively inexpensive, I just can't justify doing it when there are much more critical projects that need to be done, like making I-65 6 lanes.  Once I pass the last stoplight at Peru heading north, I rarely have to let off the cruise control even once before hitting Plymouth.  It's just not worth the money at any cost.

While there are a lot of safe sections, there are also some dangerous areas like intersections in Rochester, Argos, and Plymouth. I think there are a few driveways toward Peru (that restaurant / winery for one), right?

The rest may not need it, I agree, but I have seen less-used highways that are freeways.

I honestly think that neither INDOT nor the lobby group pushing to upgrade 31 has ever mentioned i-67 at all.  So I'm not sure if it's even on anyone's radar.

And I doubt Michigan would be interested at all.  A US highway freeway is just as good as an Interstate freeway.

Jebediah would be proud that they are settlers and that they settle for things like US Highway designations. Or would Dixie Highway be better?

[NWI_Irish96]

US 31 from Plymouth to Peru flows very well.  To me, it would be a lot of unnecessary expense to convert that section just to be able to get an interstate designation.  There are many other projects that are much more important and need to be priorities over that.  If you want to convert the rest of what isn't done from Peru to Noblesville, I'd be fine with that and then that part could be called I-365. 

The flip side is that this section would also be the cheapest to upgrade. There are very few, if any, driveways on the road between US 24 and US 30. They would need five or six interchanges, quite a few overpasses (but this area is very lightly populated), and a bridge over that one railroad near Plymouth. So to me, the question is more about the value received from doing it.

South of US 24 to Kokomo will be much more problematic just like Tipton County.

Even if it would be relatively inexpensive, I just can't justify doing it when there are much more critical projects that need to be done, like making I-65 6 lanes.  Once I pass the last stoplight at Peru heading north, I rarely have to let off the cruise control even once before hitting Plymouth.  It's just not worth the money at any cost.

While there are a lot of safe sections, there are also some dangerous areas like intersections in Rochester, Argos, and Plymouth. I think there are a few driveways toward Peru (that restaurant / winery for one), right?

The rest may not need it, I agree, but I have seen less-used highways that are freeways.

The real dangerous intersection was US 31/IN 14 at Rochester, but that got closed several years ago.  Another dangerous intersection was US 31/9th Rd at Plymouth, but that too has been modified.  I haven't heard of any major problems in Argos. 

[roadman65]

What would be the purpose of it? Traffic from the west will take I-65 to Indy and traffic from the east will take I-69. It'd be a completely regional route, which in my view doesn't necessitate an Interstate designation.

Below are the lengths of other 2dis for comparison:

   I-17   146
   I-19   102
   i-22   213
   I-27   124
   I-37   143
   I-41   176
   I-43   192
   i-45   285
   i-66   76
   I-68   113
   I-72   184
   I-73   82
   I-78   144
   I-82   144
   I-83   85
   I-84 e   232
   I-86 w   101
   I-88 e   118
   I-88 w   141
   I-89   191
   i-96   192
   I-97   18
   I-99   99


While an Intersate designation would not be necessary, it would be easily justifiable.

I-19 was in kilometers, so it would be just over 60 miles.  I-12 is not listed, and it's a glorified 3-d bypass of about 85 miles.

Do not forget I-2 in Texas.  Its just about over 46 miles long.

By comparison, I-476 in PA is 129 miles long, and that's longer than eleven 2di's!

Hell even I-287 in NJ is longer than some 2 digits, and that is not even its full length as it continues in NYS.

[monty]

I anticipate that INDOT will continue to upgrade US 31 a piece at a time following the SR 28 interchange.  You can expect the NSRR, a mile north of SR 28, to be bridged over relatively soon, perhaps 2017, followed by a new interchange at what is currently the stoplight at Baker's Corner (2018?) and another interchange in northern Hamilton County (2019?) near the new John Deere dealership. INDOT would like to remove the stoplight at Division Road (high priority)  Local leaders want a Division Road interchange while INDOT wants a cheaper alternative.  These projects can be anticipated in the next five years. Eliminate the remaining cross-overs and driveways and now you have extended the freeway to Division Road. That would cover the most highly trafficked unimproved segment with the most potential for economic growth. 

Add an overpass in northern Tipton County and eliminate the numerous remaining driveway cuts to the Kokomo segment and the freeway will be complete up to Miami County.  I think this can all happen in the next ten years. 

I feel that INDOT will drag their feet in Miami and Fulton Counties due to the current quality of that expressway.  However, they would like to eliminate the stoplights in favor of something creative (and cheaper) like J turns.  That will be a battle.  The US31 Coalition does not have an interstate designated route as one of their stated objectives, although I think they should.  They believe that the interstate designation makes their requests more complicated and I understand that. Their goal is to develop the entire corridor to a freeway standard, which then would make it an easy secondary goal of an interstate shielded highway if the powers that be want to go that direction.

[silverback1065]

I anticipate that INDOT will continue to upgrade US 31 a piece at a time following the SR 28 interchange.  You can expect the NSRR, a mile north of SR 28, to be bridged over relatively soon, perhaps 2017, followed by a new interchange at what is currently the stoplight at Baker's Corner (2018?) and another interchange in northern Hamilton County (2019?) near the new John Deere dealership. INDOT would like to remove the stoplight at Division Road (high priority)  Local leaders want a Division Road interchange while INDOT wants a cheaper alternative.  These projects can be anticipated in the next five years. Eliminate the remaining cross-overs and driveways and now you have extended the freeway to Division Road. That would cover the most highly trafficked unimproved segment with the most potential for economic growth. 

Add an overpass in northern Tipton County and eliminate the numerous remaining driveway cuts to the Kokomo segment and the freeway will be complete up to Miami County.  I think this can all happen in the next ten years. 

I feel that INDOT will drag their feet in Miami and Fulton Counties due to the current quality of that expressway.  However, they would like to eliminate the stoplights in favor of something creative (and cheaper) like J turns.  That will be a battle.  The US31 Coalition does not have an interstate designated route as one of their stated objectives, although I think they should.  They believe that the interstate designation makes their requests more complicated and I understand that. Their goal is to develop the entire corridor to a freeway standard, which then would make it an easy secondary goal of an interstate shielded highway if the powers that be want to go that direction.

Division Road and the RR tracks in the area are both slated to be changed to bridges within the next few yrs. They should be in the very early phases of design.

[monty]

I've got an economic development background and I personally would love to see the I67 shield be applied to this corridor.  It's amazing what that does for development.  I understand the people on AARoads forum when they say that the "US" designation is sufficient, and it is for signing an important route, but my experience has revealed how sexy that blue shield is for attraction.  The I165 scenario from Indy north to wherever the freeway ends also has some allure and it makes sense in comparison to other short freeway routes in other states.  That's something I've not witnessed INDOT being interested in though.

[theline]

I honestly think that neither INDOT nor the lobby group pushing to upgrade 31 has ever mentioned i-67 at all.  So I'm not sure if it's even on anyone's radar.

Well, it was on the radar of the Indiana legislature over a decade ago: https://web.archive.org/web/20070311070640/http://www.in.gov/s11/3-25-03.htm. Admittedly, they just viewed it as a vehicle to get federal funding. Good luck with that. I swear that I once saw a similar resolution from their Michigan counterparts, though I can't find it now. They were probably trying to get funding for the remaining gap in the US-31 freeway near Benton Harbor.

Really grasping at straws, we can go back even farther to 1958, when MDOT proposed I-67 for the freeway that became I-196: https://web.archive.org/web/20040805182658/nwindianahwys.homestead.com/michiplan.html.

Even if Michigan was interested it would take 100 yrs for them to actually build the damn thing

I honestly think that Indiana will eventually finish their part, though I likely won't live to see it. There is still a lot of push from the South Bend area to get the thing done. Every time a legislator has to make the drive for a session, he/she gets reminded. If Indiana does get it done, they may get some kind to I designation as far as the ITR.

Maybe this post should be moved to Fictional Highways.

[JCinSummerfield]

I would think Michigan would rather have I-67 follow US-131 routing rather than US-31.

[The Ghostbuster]

This post should be moved to Fictional Highways. That is beyond a maybe.

[silverback1065]

I would think Michigan would rather have I-67 follow US-131 routing rather than US-31.

I believe this was the original idea for the routing in michigan

[roadman65]

It could still serve that even if the South Bend to Indy gets the designation.  Just have it deviate at South Bend and angle over to US 131.

[NWI_Irish96]

It could still serve that even if the South Bend to Indy gets the designation.  Just have it deviate at South Bend and angle over to US 131.

US 131 is not interstate-standard south of Schoolcraft.  Not sure how I-67 gets to 131.

[rawmustard]

It could still serve that even if the South Bend to Indy gets the designation.  Just have it deviate at South Bend and angle over to US 131.

US 131 is not interstate-standard south of Schoolcraft.  Not sure how I-67 gets to 131.

There's always been a desire to get a US 131 freeway to the Indiana Toll Road, but it certainly isn't going to happen in the immediate future.

[The Ghostbuster]

I doubt Michigan's US 131 freeway will be extended in either direction anytime soon, if ever.

[RevZimmerman]

It could still serve that even if the South Bend to Indy gets the designation.  Just have it deviate at South Bend and angle over to US 131.

Tending toward the fictional, but if there were a desire to make the conversion to I-67, it could be done by closing the current gap in Michigan between the I-196/I-94 interchange and where the freeway of US-31 ends.

This would result in three re-designations of roads to I-67:
(1) US-31 from I-465 in Indiana to a newly completed interchange with I-94 in Michigan.
(2) I-196 from its current interchange with I-94 north to its interchange with US-131.
(3) US-131 north of its current interchange with I-196.

This would create I-67 with Manton, MI as its northern terminus and Indianapolis (I-465) as its southern terminus.

[thefro]

There's also the proposal for I-67 in S. Indiana/Kentucky, even if that's much less useful.  If both were built that'd give you a road long enough to be worthy of a 2di, anyway (600+ miles).

[silverback1065]

There's also the proposal for I-67 in S. Indiana/Kentucky, even if that's much less useful.  If both were built that'd give you a road long enough to be worthy of a 2di, anyway (600+ miles).

This will never happen, INDOT isn't even remotely interested, and there are so many projects that are more important than this. 

[andy3175]

There's also the proposal for I-67 in S. Indiana/Kentucky, even if that's much less useful.  If both were built that'd give you a road long enough to be worthy of a 2di, anyway (600+ miles).

The webpage for the proposed I-67 Corridor is still around at http://i67developmentcorporation.com/, but I've not seen any news on this in probably a year or so.

[aboges26]

There's also the proposal for I-67 in S. Indiana/Kentucky, even if that's much less useful.  If both were built that'd give you a road long enough to be worthy of a 2di, anyway (600+ miles).

The webpage for the proposed I-67 Corridor is still around at http://i67developmentcorporation.com/, but I've not seen any news on this in probably a year or so.

It is very interesting that they advocate for connecting the southern portion to the northern portion:

[The Ghostbuster]

The map is somewhat outdated. No Interstate 39 between Rockford, IL and Portage WI. No Interstate 41, US 45 has been rerouted between Oshkosh and New London, WI, Interstate 69 ends in Indianapolis, US 27 still exists in Michigan, Interstate 164 still exists, as does US 33 in Michigan, among other things.

[wdcrft63]

Kentucky apparently is going to get what it wants from the original I-67 idea: an upgraded parkway from Bowling Green to Owensboro to be called I-565.