Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[hoosierguy]

I drove I-69 from Bloomington to Evansville and back to get a better view of the solar eclipse today. The new terrain portion is in good condition and there was a moderate amount of traffic on both legs of the journey. The portion through Bloomington is still pretty hairy. The exit for Fullerton Pike is a blink-and-you-miss-it situation. New asphalt pavement is being poured between Rockport Road and the Tapp Road interchange so I think the lanes will shift once that is done. There is a lot of earth moving occurring at Tapp Road so you can tell the state is serious about getting the interchange built.

Good progress but still a ways to go yet.

[silverback1065]

I heard US 41 was a mess over the ohio due to the eclipse traffic.

[codyg1985]

I heard US 41 was a mess over the ohio due to the eclipse traffic.

The bridge construction exacerbated the situation too.

[ITB]

Who would have thunk it? In the mid-1910s to the late 1920s, the western route of the Dixie Highway roughly followed the route of what is today SR 37 (soon to be I-69) from Indianapolis to Bloomington. The Highway continued south from Bloomington to Bedford and Paoli on Old SR 37, then jogged southeast on what is now US 150 to Louisville.

Here's a section of an old 1915 Dixie Highway map in Indiana.



For those not in the know, the Dixie Highway was a network of paved roads constructed in the 1910s to connect the upper Midwest states to Florida. To see the full 1915 Dixie Highway map, check out the link below.

https://www.wdl.org/en/item/11544/

Edit: Minor wording edits for clarity.

[ilpt4u]

Technically, Old IN 37 from Indy to Bedford carried the Dixie Highway, not the 4 Lane Divided Highway that is today's IN 37, that is being upgraded to I-69 from Bloomington to Indy

And to continue up to Chicago, the route follows US 136 north and west to Danville, IL, and then due north on IL 1 to head up to the Windy City

Not super related to the I-69 question, but any idea what the intersection(s) in Downtown Indy is/are where the different branches of the Dixie Highway intersect?

[ITB]

Technically, Old IN 37 from Indy to Bedford carried the Dixie Highway, not the 4 Lane Divided Highway that is today's IN 37, that is being upgraded to I-69 from Bloomington to Indy

Indeed. The distinction between Old SR 37 and the current SR 37 is important. Thanks for pointing that out.

Not super related to the I-69 question, but any idea what the intersection(s) in Downtown Indy is/are where the different branches of the Dixie Highway intersect?

Wikipedia has a good rundown of State Road 37, its history, etc. You might find what you're looking for there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_37

[westerninterloper]

Interesting map - I didn't know that the Dixie Highway looped around the lower peninsula. I also thought that it went south on US 41 in Indiana, based solely on the local name of US41 South in Terre Haute, the Dixie Bee Highway. Was that ever a Dixie Highway?

[RoadWarrior56]

SR 37 was a two-lane highway from I-465 at Indianapolis south to US 50 south of Bedford until approximately late 1973, when the current four-lane at-grade expressway was constructed.  The old two-lane roadway was on a different alignment and went through both Bloomington and Bedford.  I remember when it was being constructed as we were alternating between new and old sections.

[theline]

I heard US 41 was a mess over the ohio due to the eclipse traffic.

The bridge construction exacerbated the situation too.

We crashed with our daughter in Evansville prior to eclipse day, but she warned us off trying to use the twin bridges Monday morning due to the construction. We crossed the Ohio on the downtown Owensboro bridge and went straight down US 431 to the totality zone. It worked out really well. Traffic was heavy, but moved along nicely.

Heading back to northern Indiana, the worst choke point was at Bloomington where I-69 turns onto SR-37 north. For some reason, INDOT makes the I-69 traffic filter down to a single lane. I don't know why they do this. I'm sure it won't be the case when construction is done.

[hoosierguy]

Heading back to northern Indiana, the worst choke point was at Bloomington where I-69 turns onto SR-37 north. For some reason, INDOT makes the I-69 traffic filter down to a single lane. I don't know why they do this. I'm sure it won't be the case when construction is done.

It is a merging issue. Only two narrow lanes are open in each direction through Bloomington. Having a lane of high speed traffic from 37 merging with two lanes from I-69 would be a disaster. The current setup has one lane each from 69 and 37 merging to form two lanes. Once the highway is completed, there will be three lanes in each direction through Bloomington and four between the Fullerton Pike and SR 37 interchanges.

[hoosierguy]

I am concerned about how traffic from I-69 will have to quickly merge across two lanes of traffic from SR 37 to get to the Fullerton Pike exit. I know it would be expensive but this seems like a good place to build collector-distributor lanes.

[thefro]

I am concerned about how traffic from I-69 will have to quickly merge across two lanes of traffic from SR 37 to get to the Fullerton Pike exit. I know it would be expensive but this seems like a good place to build collector-distributor lanes.

The Fullerton exit ramp is nearly a mile after where I-69 merges with SR 37 (4300+ ft), so that's plenty of time to get over.  I don't see that being a bottleneck given that there's not a lot of traffic on that side of Bloomington.

[hoosierguy]

The exits from SR 48 to SR 37 are tightly spaced and when traffic is moving at 60+ mph 4300 feet goes by pretty fast. And it isn't one lane change but two that a car on 69 has to make to get off on Fullerton.

[silverback1065]

when bloomington fills the gap in fullerton pike, they should consider making the entire road one name.  4 names can get crazy for 1 continuous road! also, are there plans to extend tapp road to state road 45?

[hoosierguy]

when bloomington fills the gap in fullerton pike, they should consider making the entire road one name.  4 names can get crazy for 1 continuous road! also, are there plans to extend tapp road to state road 45?

I have no knowledge of that and I live in Bloomington. The Fullerton Pike extension and upgrade is the big project right now and the county's main priority.

[ITB]

when bloomington fills the gap in fullerton pike, they should consider making the entire road one name.  4 names can get crazy for 1 continuous road! also, are there plans to extend tapp road to state road 45?

Yes, there are plans to connect Tapp Road to SR 45/W. Airport Road. The project's listed as a "recommended improvement project" in the Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization's 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (p. 127 and 173). Other than that listing, as far as I know, there hasn't been much revealed about the potential extension, when it might be officially scheduled for construction, etc.   

https://bloomington.in.gov/sites/default/files/2017-05/long_range_transportation_plan_0.pdf

[thefro]

Tapp Road also needs to be renamed to one name.

Could potentially be Airport Road --> Tapp Road --> Country Club Drive --> Winslow Road --> Rogers Road --> Smith Road (granted it goes around a bend and starts going N/S, so this name change is probably okay) once the extension is done

[silverback1065]

rogers road definitely needs to go, they already have a rogers st.  there's a few more streets that randomly change names in bloomington!

[ITB]

rogers road definitely needs to go, they already have a rogers st.  there's a few more streets that randomly change names in bloomington!

Don't think the name "Rogers Road" will be removed anytime soon, if ever. The Rogers family has been one of the more prominent families in Bloomington and Monroe County since the 1850s 1820s. In fact, that stretch of roadway designated "Rogers Road" was named after Ralph Rogers, who founded and built up one of the largest aggregate businesses in the United States, now known as the Rogers Group. Hmm... Aggregate. Roads. That's right, Ralph Rogers became a road builder, not only supplying stone aggregate materials to hundreds of major projects, but also building a good number himself. As the network of paved highways and interstates expanded in Indiana and elsewhere in the Midwest, his company grew and prospered. If I remember correctly, he also was deeply involved in getting SR 46 built between Bloomington and Nashville, IN, either as a builder or booster, or, more likely, both. On the then outskirts of Bloomington, adjacent to what is now Rogers Road, Ralph had a large spread, in addition to a house in Bloomington.

Here's links to more information about Ralph Rogers and the Rogers Group:

http://www.pitandquarry.com/pit-quarry-hall-of-fame-profile-ralph-rogers/

http://rogersgroupinc.com/About/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Edit: I'm going to walk back the statement that Rogers Road is named after Ralph Rogers. That doesn't seem accurate, as roads are usually named after pioneering settlers. Ralph Rogers did own a large piece of property in the vicinity of Rogers Road, but it may been land his ancestors settled and farmed decades earlier, thus the "Rogers Road."

[hoosierguy]

A new article in the Bloomington Herald-Times about the chaos at the Fullerton Pike interchange (behind a pay wall):

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/driven-crazy-road-work-still-confusing-motorists-on-fullerton-pike/article_15192ece-e76f-5e42-be9c-1d2f963c745d.html

This entire project has been a disaster and resulted in the needless deaths of several people. Why do you open an interchange with the connecting roads not complete while shutting down access to the highway at other locations? People have to take a huge detour to get to Monroe Hospital which during a medical emergency could mean the difference between living or dying.

If I didn't know better I would think the state is intentionally screwing with Bloomington because of its opposition to the interstate. They have blood on their hands if that is the case.

[silverback1065]

A new article in the Bloomington Herald-Times about the chaos at the Fullerton Pike interchange (behind a pay wall):

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/driven-crazy-road-work-still-confusing-motorists-on-fullerton-pike/article_15192ece-e76f-5e42-be9c-1d2f963c745d.html

This entire project has been a disaster and resulted in the needless deaths of several people. Why do you open an interchange with the connecting roads not complete while shutting down access to the highway at other locations? People have to take a huge detour to get to Monroe Hospital which during a medical emergency could mean the difference between living or dying.

If I didn't know better I would think the state is intentionally screwing with Bloomington because of its opposition to the interstate. They have blood on their hands if that is the case.

i agree with the sentiment about why they opened it when they did, but not with the last part about screwing bloomington.  also, whose died as a result of the opening of this new exit?

[hoosierguy]

Several people have died during the I-69 construction, which has been delayed significantly. The road should have been completed last year. The extended dangerous driving conditions have led to fatal accidents that never should have occurred.

[ITB]

Before I post some new photos, I'd like to provide a brief update about the Rogers Road street name as well as some additional about Ralph Rogers, a now-deceased, former prominent Bloomington resident.

Here's what I wrote earlier and will serve as a prelude to what follows:

rogers road definitely needs to go, they already have a rogers st.  there's a few more streets that randomly change names in bloomington!

Don't think the name "Rogers Road" will be removed anytime soon, if ever. The Rogers family has been one of the more prominent families in Bloomington and Monroe County since the 1850s 1820s. In fact, that stretch of roadway designated "Rogers Road" was named after Ralph Rogers, who founded and built up one of the largest aggregate businesses in the United States, now known as the Rogers Group. Hmm... Aggregate. Roads. That's right, Ralph Rogers became a road builder, not only supplying stone aggregate materials to hundreds of major projects, but also building a good number himself. As the network of paved highways and interstates expanded in Indiana and elsewhere in the Midwest, his company grew and prospered. If I remember correctly, he also was deeply involved in getting SR 46 built between Bloomington and Nashville, IN, either as a builder or booster, or, more likely, both. On the then outskirts of Bloomington, adjacent to what is now Rogers Road, Ralph had a large spread, in addition to a house in Bloomington.

Here's links to more information about Ralph Rogers and the Rogers Group:

http://www.pitandquarry.com/pit-quarry-hall-of-fame-profile-ralph-rogers/

http://rogersgroupinc.com/About/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Edit: I'm going to walk back the statement that Rogers Road is named after Ralph Rogers. That doesn't seem accurate, as roads are usually named after pioneering settlers. Ralph Rogers did own a large piece of property in the vicinity of Rogers Road, but it may been land his ancestors settled and farmed decades earlier, thus the "Rogers Road."

First of all, there are two streets in Bloomington and Monroe County named Rogers. Rogers Street is a north-south arterial just west of College Avenue. It was named after the Aquilla Rogers family, who were among the earliest settlers of Monroe County. Rogers Road, on the other hand, is part of lengthy east-west arterial on the south side of Bloomington that has three other names appended to it. From east to west, its goes Rogers Road--->Winslow Road--->Country Club Drive--->Tapp Road. Tapp Road intersects with SR 37 (future I-69) and then truncates at Leonard Springs Road about a quarter mile west of SR 37.

Rogers Road is most likely named after the two or three Rogers families who farmed, and had significant landholdings, in that area of Monroe County in the 1850s. By the 1920s, however, the land had been sold off to others. Ralph Rogers, who founded the Bloomington aggregate business that prospered greatly in the 1940s and 50s, was a descendant of the one of the two early Rogers families that came to Monroe County in the late 1810s. By 1957, Ralph Rogers owned, by my rough estimate, between 800 and 1,000 acres in Perry Township alone. Perry Township is one of two primary townships in Monroe County, splitting the city of Bloomington in half horizontally, with Third Street the dividing line between Bloomington Twp and Perry. Among other smaller tracts, he had about 400 acres on Rogers Road, comprising the land between High Street and Snoddy Road south of Rogers Road. Rogers also had very considerable landholdings where the College Mall shopping center now sits. Yup, he probably sold the land to the developers of the mall. Also, later, he controlled, with a partner whose name I can't recall, upwards of 4,000 acres in southern Monroe County.

The Ralph Rogers Co. also constructed State Road 46, as we know it today, between Bloomington and Nashville, Indiana.

Here's the link to 1957 plat map for Perry Township in Monroe County. To get your bearings, the road at the top is 3rd Street. Honey Creek Road is now called Snoddy Road. The Bloomington County Club is also shown. For some reason, the link doesn't directly bring up the plat for Perry Twp, so page down the content list (on the right) until you find PLAT-0001-0024_Perry Twp and click on that.

http://cdm16066.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16066coll2/id/24219

And here's the source used for some of the above, a book about the history of The Rogers Group.

https://www.amazon.com/Ground-Up-Rogers-Helped-Nation/dp/1577364074/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503960643&sr=1-6&keywords=from+the+ground+up+sandy

Edit: To correct misspelling of the Rogers Group; added info about SR 46.

[ITB]

Here's some pictures I took Sunday, August 27, 2017. Tip: To view the photos in expanded format, right click and select "view photo."


The construction work zone near Sample Road at SR 37 in Monroe County, Indiana; looking north. An overpass and an interchange are being built at Sample Road as part of Section 5 of Indiana's I-69 Corridor Project. In this vicinity, new southbound lanes for Interstate 69 will be constructed. Take note of the subbase material that has been placed in spots for these new lanes. The wide gap between the bridge abutment (left) and middle bent is for the two new southbound interstate lanes as well as the southbound entrance ramp from Sample Road. This ramp will jog off north from a roundabout then swing around to go down and under the overpass.


Closer view of the construction of the Sample Road overpass; looking northwest.


This is the roughed-out eastern roundabout of the Sample Road/future I-69 interchange; looking west. At the far left, the middle bent of the overpass can be seen.


A broad view of the Sample Road work zone; looking north.


The path of a section of the eastern local access road about 1/2 mile south of the Mobil/Circle K. Still a way to go here, but they'll beat this terrain into shape in short order.


A couple of very large off-highway trucks used at the Sample Road work zone. The one in back is a Caterpillar 777C, an impressive piece of equipment. Can you define big!?


Another perspective of the the future overpass that will carry Sample Road over Interstate 69; looking northwest.

[ITB]

To continue on from above, a few more from the Sample Road work zone. Photos were take August 26, 2017, unless otherwise identified.


The local access road leading up the future traffic roundabout at Sample Road on the east side of SR 37 (future I-69); looking north. To get your bearings, the Mobil/Circle K on SR 37 is just off to the left. August 27, 2017.


Close-up view of the back of the Caterpillar 777C off-highway truck pictured above. August 27.


Another view of the future Sample Road overpass; looking west.


Looking south from Sample Road toward State Road 37. Crews continue to remove rock and material on the west side of the roadway for the new I-69 southbound lanes as well as the western local access road that will tie into the Sample Road interchange. In this vicinity the new interstate lanes will merge with the present southbound lanes of SR 37 (future 69).


Near Simpson Chapel Road (pictured), work to shape the terrain for the new southbound lanes of I-69 continues. To the left is the recently paved local access road that will link into the Sample Road/I-69 interchange. Between the Sample interchange and the paved section pictured, Simpson Chapel Road will be utilized as the local access road. But north of the Simpson Chapel/SR 37 crossing, new access roadway needed to be built.


The local access road north of the Simpson Chapel Road/SR 37 intersection; looking north. The new southbound lanes of I-69 will run between the access road and the current SR 37 southbound lanes. In this vicinity and on down to Sample Road, when the new interstate lanes complete, the southbound lanes of SR 37 will converted to the northbound lanes for Interstate 69.


Another view looking north from just south of Simpson Chapel Road.


Looking south from near Simpson Chapel Road. The bridge abutment for the future Sample Road overpass is in the background.


Another perspective of the scene looking south from near Simpson Chapel Road.


Equipment on site at the Sample Road/SR 37 work zone; looking south.


Close up of the rear of the Caterpillar 777C off-highway rock truck; at the Sample Road work zone; looking north. Now is that an axle or what!? August 27.