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[hbelkins]

The Audabon Parkway is future Interstate 369.

A number hasn't been picked for it yet. The signage along it indicates it as Future I-69 Spur. Where are you coming up with all this crap you are posting? Are you making it up, hallucinating it or just trying to troll us?

The Audabon Parkway is future Interstate 369.

What's the speed limit? 88?

I believe it is 65 m.p.h.

It's actually 70 mph.

[tidecat]

According to Wikipedia, Daviess County officials are the ones who proposed I-369 back in 2005:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_369_(Kentucky)

I-369 may make more sense as long as I-164 is on the hoof, and especially since the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce is also pushing an I-165 designation for the Natcher: http://gotransportation.net/highway_plans_&_projects/i-66_65_spur.php  The irony is that the same site shows the Audubon as I-169, not I-369.

[mukade]

I decided to take a vacation day on Friday to check out progress on I-69. I am not an expert, but I am having a hard time seeing how the SR 68 to US 231 section will open in 2012 as scheduled. I decided to venture down some gravel roads and covered the entire length (as much as possible).

Starting at SR 37 in Bloomington, the first sign of construction was at SR 445 where a lot of trees have been cut and earth moving has begun. The second sign was where I-69 crosses SR 45 where a lot of earth has been moved. I did not go down any backroads in this newest section. The next point I saw was at US 231, and from there on I spent more time. Below are some pictures - these are all from areas that are well underway. I will try to post some where the road is not as far along in another post.


US 231 at I-69 - the deck is not in place on this overpass


Asphalt paving in Daviess County north of Washington


PCCP paving near Washington (just north of US 50)


US 50 new eastbound lanes at I-69


SR 64 at I-69

[mukade]

The scale of this project is amazing. I thought 70 -80 miles was long, but when you see all the men and machinery operating along the whole length of this thing, the scale sinks in. I think this would be considered a long project even by 1960s and early 1970s standards as even then it was common to see 20-30 mile sections being built at a time.

This is where I am seeing a problem as so much paving will have to be done over so many miles toward the tail end of this year. Not much of the road is yet paved today. A lot of the road isn't even close to final grade and some of it is still in earth-moving stages. Most bridges are well along, but some are barely started. If this opens up in 2012, it will be pretty amazing, but on the other hand a lot has changed since my last look at it in late October, 2011.

Part 2 of I-69 photos follows.


I-69 at SR 56/SR 61 near Petersburg. This overpass has a ways to go.


Overpass over railway tracks near Elnora


Looking north in northern Daviess County (south of SR 58)


Digging out bad soil in Gibson County


Overpass over railway tracks just north of US 50 in Washington


Looking where the road makes a turn toward the east near Elnora

[codyg1985]

^ These are really nice pics. I am also amazed at the scale of the construction effort on I-69. If only we could see something like this for other important future interstates (*cough*I-49*cough*).

Thanks mukade!

[mukade]

According to the latest INDOT letting schedule that was released yesterday, all of the remaining I-69 contracts up to SR 37 will be let beginning in July and ending in October of this year. That bumps the schedule forward a couple of months. I believe the sections from US 231 to SR 37 account for at least 25 miles of new freeway.

[The Great Whamini]

I heard it's bat mating season in some forest areas, so tree felling was suspending through this October.  I say all well and good.  There's plenty of land now on the fast track for completion.

[ShawnP]

Enjoy this long construction piece. Most likely it will be the LAST ever in America. I hear folks on I-49 but my hope is not strong for long stretches of it in Arkansas. It will be a 5-10 mile slog at a time for decades.

[mukade]

It could be. The Toll Road deal happened at the perfect time so Indiana got maximum dollars from the lease. After that, Indiana took advantage of the poor economy to get very low prices on the new construction. Also, the governor was committed to building roads as promised, not diverting the money to the general fund as many people suggested. So the urgency and economy worked together to create the perfect storm for a lot of road construction. While this may be the last such case (short of new toll roads on new or existing terrain, possibly), it is one one more case than I ever expected to see again after the 1970s.

Dollar-wise, the Hamilton County US 31 improvement scheduled for 2014 will be not too far off the cost to build I-69 from Evansville to Crane. Not nearly as long, though.

[sd72667]

Great pics. Thanks for the updates. The 445 section is really coming along. They have already removed several houses around 45 and 445. I can't wait for the Ev to Crane to be finished.

[ShawnP]

So which is finished first I-69 from Bloomington to Indy or I-67 (trying to be positive) from Indy to South Bend? I think I-67 as it might be cheaper and easier.

[tdindy88]

I think I-69 would be done first, only because the entire cooridor is more or less planned out, the details are still needed for the interchanges along with the enviromental plans and of course there is accurquing the funding (we don't have another toll road to sell.) But we haven't even gotten to any of the initial steps on converting the rest of US 31 to a freeway, only the mere talk about it (as evidenced from the article a few posts up.) I think that the that stretch of highway won't be converted for a while unless funding can be found to do that and with all that, I-69 might be able to inch its way up north from Bloomington just soon enough to be mostly finished by the time that happens. Note that I say "inch" since I'm not convinced that Sections 5 and 6 will be done quickly. However, if I see an actual timetable and financing plan for making the rest of US 31 into a freeway (I am more partial to keeping the US 31 name instead of I-67 when it becomes a freeway, personally) then I will conclude that the 31 corridor can be finished first.

[mukade]

I agree I-69 is the top priority in the state. One interesting thing in the I-69 plans being discussed is whether to rebuild or keep some of the existing SR 37 interchanges in Bloomington. Personally, I would favor keeping them as they are for now and upgrade the road going north.

Originally, the I-69/I-465 south interchange and a couple of miles of I-69 were planned as a Major Moves project (i.e.the 2012-205 timeframe), but that plan seems to have been dropped.

As for the proposed I-67 (or US 31), I hope they incrementally upgrade it by building interchanges at old SR 47 (236th St.), SR 28, SR 18, SR 218, and Peru. If one interchange could be knocked out a year, the road would be much safer. With only 7 traffic lights remaining, I fear more of those high speed tragic rear-end collisions like the road has already seen. A slow, steady upgrade would not break the bank.

As for US 31 itself, north of Peru, the road is modern, and I agree would be relatively cheap to upgrade. Mainly just a few interchanges, bridges, and cul-de-sacs. From Peru south to old SR 47 , there are a lot of driveways and businesses on the road. South of Kokomo, one side of US 31 is the still the old wavy carriageway  which would probably need to rebuilt to modern standards.

The other two top priority roads are I-265 and the Illiana Toll Road, of course. Presumably these would be funded thru public-private partnerships.

[mukade]

Miscellaneous I-69-related links of interest:

EDITORIAL: Daniels' innovative Major Moves plan brought roads, jobs (Evansville Courier Press)

One of the I-69 contractors has a web-cam link with a fairly cool time lapse option.
Fred Weber, Inc.

Another contractor has a few pictures:
T.J. Lambrecht Construction

[ShawnP]

I would favor closing them since Bloomington didn't and doesn't want I-69. Then to open them I would force Bloomington to pay double the price. Hard core yes but it's Bloomington and they deserve to be jacked up.

[ShawnP]

Like the accidents on the Watkins in KC at Gregory BLVD. Many have died at that light.

I agree I-69 is the top priority in the state. One interesting thing in the I-69 plans being discussed is whether to rebuild or keep some of the existing SR 37 interchanges in Bloomington. Personally, I would favor keeping them as they are for now and upgrade the road going north.

Originally, the I-69/I-465 south interchange and a couple of miles of I-69 were planned as a Major Moves project (i.e.the 2012-205 timeframe), but that plan seems to have been dropped.

As for the proposed I-67 (or US 31), I hope they incrementally upgrade it by building interchanges at old SR 47 (236th St.), SR 28, SR 18, SR 218, and Peru. If one interchange could be knocked out a year, the road would be much safer. With only 7 traffic lights remaining, I fear more of those high speed tragic rear-end collisions like the road has already seen. A slow, steady upgrade would not break the bank.

As for US 31 itself, north of Peru, the road is modern, and I agree would be relatively cheap to upgrade. Mainly just a few interchanges, bridges, and cul-de-sacs. From Peru south to old SR 47 , there are a lot of driveways and businesses on the road. South of Kokomo, one side of US 31 is the still the old wavy carriageway  which would probably need to rebuilt to modern standards.

The other two top priority roads are I-265 and the Illiana Toll Road, of course. Presumably these would be funded thru public-private partnerships.

[InterstateNG]

I would favor closing them since Bloomington didn't and doesn't want I-69. Then to open them I would force Bloomington to pay double the price. Hard core yes but it's Bloomington and they deserve to be jacked up.

You keep posting this idiotic nonsense.  Have you you actually researched whether the citizenry at large cares one way or the other?  Probably not.  Has anyone?

[tdindy88]

A vocal minority doesn't want I-69 in Bloomington. And if I recall from earlier in this thread, the amount of people in favor of the highway there actually trumps the number of people against it. As someone who has visited Bloomington and lived there for several summers, there are people there who would love to get to Indianapolis without any stoplights and have no personal problems with the interstate. They are smart to realize that the interstate isn't going to destroy the unique culture of Bloomington. The courthouse square, Kirkwood Avenue, IU and the beautiful scenery aren't going away, and a lot of people in Bloomington get this.

It's just that the other group is louder and will never let the issue die, even long after they use the interstate to get up to Indy without stopping at any stoplights. Even at the meetings that were recently in Bloomington over Section 4 and 5, the media focused on the 20 or so opponents of the highway, while ignoring the larger number of people who were at least okay with the highway or completely in favor of it. You don't sell papers with everyone agreeing.

[Revive 755]

I would favor closing them since Bloomington didn't and doesn't want I-69. Then to open them I would force Bloomington to pay double the price. Hard core yes but it's Bloomington and they deserve to be jacked up.

You keep posting this idiotic nonsense.  Have you you actually researched whether the citizenry at large cares one way or the other?  Probably not.  Has anyone?

The Bloomington Metropolitan Planning Organization was attempting to delay/halt construction of I-69 as noted earlier in this thread.  The voting members of MPOs, as far as I know and given my experience with other MPOs, are local elected officials.  Someone had to elect said officials.

[mukade]

They are elected officials, but I am not sure I-69 was a dominant election issue in their campaigns - or even an issue raised at all by some members.

I think sentiment is split there. Everyone I have talked to is pro-I-69, but that doesn't mean anything. I think it is clear that the vocal opposition is a very small minority. Many of the activists arrested over the years were not even from Indiana.

[mukade]

Interesting video of bridge beams being delivered for I-69:

SR 56/SR 61 interchange with I-69

[RoadWarrior56]

When I-69 opens to Crane, will existing SR 57 be cosigned on I-69 with the existing roadway turned over to the counties, will SR 57 be decommisioned for most of its length, or will SR 57 stay as it is north of SR 68?  Knowing what I do about INDOT, I would be surprised if INDOT wants to maintain the existing road over the long term.

[tdindy88]

I may be optomistic, but I think that SR 57 might remain where it is, at least north of SR 68. Honestly, the stretch from I-164 south to US 41 isn't needed much, but the rest can still be a locally-used state highway. There won't be too many exits along I-69, at least initially, so people living along the cooridor will still need to use SR 57 from their closest exit to their homes. That, and local county governments may not want to have to maintain that stretch of highway, this has happened with other state highways that the state has tried to turn over. As an example, I point to SR 46 and I-74 in Southeast Indiana of having a state highway closely follow an interstate and remain a state highway, likewise SR 42 and I-70 from Terre Haute to Mooresville. Now, as for SR 37 when it becomes Interstate 69, I would expect a decommissioning eventually for that.

[mukade]

When I-69 opens to Crane, will existing SR 57 be cosigned on I-69 with the existing roadway turned over to the counties, will SR 57 be decommisioned for most of its length, or will SR 57 stay as it is north of SR 68?  Knowing what I do about INDOT, I would be surprised if INDOT wants to maintain the existing road over the long term.

If you loook at the online INDOT plans, SR 57 will not be co-signed with I-69. If I had to guess, INDOT will offer to turn most of current SR 57 over to local agencies. Also, my guess is that SR 57 north of Elnora will stay. Washington still has that SR 257 spur which might indicate, turning it back there might prove to be difficult, but as INDOT provided funds for the new "gateway" road in Washington near the new I-69 interchange, maybe a deal was made in exchange.

Seeing that the one interchange in Pike County south of Petersburg will not be built initially, Pike County may not be willing to take over any of SR 57. The new interchange might be a bargaining chip.

I may be optomistic, but I think that SR 57 might remain where it is, at least north of SR 68. Honestly, the stretch from I-164 south to US 41 isn't needed much, but the rest can still be a locally-used state highway. There won't be too many exits along I-69, at least initially, so people living along the cooridor will still need to use SR 57 from their closest exit to their homes. That, and local county governments may not want to have to maintain that stretch of highway, this has happened with other state highways that the state has tried to turn over. As an example, I point to SR 46 and I-74 in Southeast Indiana of having a state highway closely follow an interstate and remain a state highway, likewise SR 42 and I-70 from Terre Haute to Mooresville. Now, as for SR 37 when it becomes Interstate 69, I would expect a decommissioning eventually for that.

I agree the part south of I-64 is not consistent with what INDOT generally wants. To me, as SR 57 now is not a busy road, I doubt that INDOT wants to keep it north of SR 68 after I-69 opens.

I would hope SR 37 will end at I-69 in Bloomington. Heck, the SR 37 designation should be pulled from Fishers to Marion and from Fort Wayne to Ohio. That route will never be what it once was. Times have changed.

My vote would be to make the Fishers to Marion part SR 15 and the Fort Wayne to Ohio part SR 14. My vote for Indy to Bloomington beginning ASAP would be for it to become SR 69 and re-designating current SR 69 to something like SR 71 or SR 73. When I-69 is fully complete, SR 69 would disappear (as it should). Just a pipe dream and foray into the fictional realm, I suppose.

[roadman65]

If I-69 is completed all the way down to Evansville, with the Penryville already there and KY taking it seriously, pressure will arise in getting that Ohio River Crossing done even if it requires bonds to be sold to do it.  That seems to be what I hear from others here is the how to get financing to get a crossing built right now.

I like to see two N-S interstates that go from end to end of the Hoosier State and I would imagine that having an Indy to Evansville corridor is needed and would help commerce out a great deal locally within the State.