Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[ITB]

It's been a month, so here's another photo update. But before I get to it I want to mention that heavy storms moved through South-Central Indiana over the weekend. Owen County, which is adjacent to directly west of Morgan County, was particularly hard hit. Spencer, the county seat, recorded 7.41 inches of rain. Over 30 roads were closed in the county, 23 culverts washed out, and two bridges seriously damaged.

In Morgan County, I noticed some low lying areas inundated, but not to any great extent. The White River was full and running strong, as was Indian Creek. On the way back to Bloomington, I noticed a convoy of five electrical trucks coming up I-69 and exiting onto State Road 46 west. Likely additional units from southern Indiana had been called in to help get the power back up in Owen. In some ways, this reflects the significance of I-69 in south-central and southwest Indiana; it is now the region's most important road.

To the pictures. Photos were taken Sunday, June 20, 2021, unless otherwise noted.

Indiana I-69 Corridor Project; Section 6; Morgan County; Johnson County; Marion County

Looking slightly northeast from the Henderson Ford Road overpass in Morgan County toward the future southbound lanes of I-69.


Southbound I-69 exit ramp to Henderson Ford Road; looking east.


Another perspective looking slightly northeast.


The view in the other direction. Looking southwest from the Henderson Ford Road overpass toward the temporary traffic light at the Henderson Ford Road intersection and the future southbound lanes of I-69.


Another view looking slightly northeast from the Henderson Ford Road overpass. Plans are to switch all State Road 37 traffic to the newly constructed southbound lanes of future I-69 sometime this summer. Work will then commence on the northbound lanes.


Mid-range perspective looking southwest from the Henderson Ford Road overpass.

[ITB]

Another batch. Again, photos were taken Sunday, June 20, 2021, unless otherwise noted.


The State Road 37/State Road 144 intersection in Johnson County; looking northeast. An interchange will be built here. Construction of the overpass that will carry SR 144 over I-69 is expected to commence in 2022. On the left and in the foreground is the future entrance ramp from SR 144 to I-69 southbound. In the right center, a large retaining wall (the black structure) has been constructed.


Different perspective. Looking north toward the SR 37/SR 144 intersection.


Slightly closer view; looking north. Dowel rod assemblies have been laid out in preparation for placement. From all appearances – the equipment on-site, the dowel rods – crews will be putting down concrete over the asphalt. Because I haven't seen this type of construction before – concrete over newly laid asphalt – I'm hesitant to say they're definitely going to be paving a concrete slab. But it sure looks that way. If it's concrete, and I think it will be, I imagine they're doing it because of geological conditions and are wanting a flexible base, which asphalt gives. Also, recall that further south near the Waverly Road overpass, the roadway already had concrete, which is being reused. Could be in this area and further south, geological conditions dictate that concrete be utilized.


Another view of the dowel rod assemblies; looking north.


The view in the opposite direction. Looking south toward the temporary traffic light installation at the SR 37/Banta Road intersection.


Paving equipment on the southbound roadway just south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection; looking north. Looks like they're ready to start paving this week.


Another perspective of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection; looking slightly northeast.


Another look; looking north.


Long range view looking toward the SR 37/Banta Road temporary intersection.


The corn is coming along. Long range view looking slightly northeast toward the SR 37/SR 144 intersection.

I imagine a few of you will recognize the following lyrics. In the latter half of the 1970s, this song was enormously popular in Indiana, as was its singer and songwriter.

Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy
Workin' on mysteries without any clues
Workin' on our night moves
Tryin' to make some front page drive-in news
Workin' on our night moves
In the summertime
In the sweet summertime

Yup. Summer has arrived. In only 18 months, we can expect a completed I-69/SR 144 interchange, as well as a completed roadway north from Martinsville to the interchange.

[abqtraveler]

In the pictures above there is an asphalt paver and right behind it appears to be a concrete slipform paver. This would not be the first time a road is paved with concrete on top of an asphalt sub-base. Arkansas has been doing this a lot in recent years with new road construction and the reconstruction of existing roads.

[edwaleni]

In the pictures above there is an asphalt paver and right behind it appears to be a concrete slipform paver. This would not be the first time a road is paved with concrete on top of an asphalt sub-base. Arkansas has been doing this a lot in recent years with new road construction and the reconstruction of existing roads.

Does anyone know what the benefits of this method are?

[ITB]

In the pictures above there is an asphalt paver and right behind it appears to be a concrete slipform paver. This would not be the first time a road is paved with concrete on top of an asphalt sub-base. Arkansas has been doing this a lot in recent years with new road construction and the reconstruction of existing roads.

Does anyone know what the benefits of this method are?

I'm wondering the same thing.

Here's a side view of the slipform paver pictured above:


Gomaco GP4 Slipform Paver; on site just south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection in Johnson County.

[zzcarp]

ODOT used the concrete-over-asphalt method when they constructed the US 30 freeway from Beaverdam to OH 235 north of Ada. One of my classmates had co-oped with ODOT during that time; basically it provided a stable relatively watertight base course under the concrete and may improve longevity of the pavement. Also, it is possible the ultimate pavement cross-section could be less thick than a traditional concrete-on-aggregate slab, which would somewhat moderate the materials cost differentials.

[Georgia]

i did asphalt base under a concrete pavement, it was done to provide a flexible base due to the anticipated high volume of trucks using the road and to lessen the concrete cross section needed supposedly. 

believe it was a base and binder course(back then 25 and 19mm; dont know if specs have changed at GDOT) with the concrete pavement on top. 

[SkyPesos]

Big applause to this thread for surpassing 1 million views (at 1,000,040 at time of writing this) 

[Avalanchez71]

Looking at the photos it appears that IN 37 is already getting the job done.

[edwaleni]

Looking at the photos it appears that IN 37 is already getting the job done.

That is local traffic only. IN-37 traffic is being diverted at Martinsville.

[SW Indiana]

Looking at the photos it appears that IN 37 is already getting the job done.

As mentioned already, mainly local traffic is using this stretch. Most traffic is diverted to SR 67 at Martinsville. Traffic counts in the area of these photos are pushing 30k vehicles per day as of 2019.

[sprjus4]

Looking at the photos it appears that IN 37 is already getting the job done.

"Looking at photos" which shows you have no actual personal experience with the corridor or any credibility to oppose improvements.

[ITB]

Yesterday, I had some extra time, so I went back up to Morgan County to check out the paving near the SR 37/SR 144 intersection. It took an hour to reach the area, and that was with no delays in Martinsville, or elsewhere.

Photos were taken June 22, 2021.

Indiana I-69 Corridor Project; Section 6; Morgan/Johnson/Marion counties

Looking slightly northeast toward the State Road 37/State Road 144 intersection in Johnson County. As expected, paving with concrete has commenced on the southbound lanes just south of the intersection.


Long range view; looking north. The road on the left is Huggin Hollow Road, which was recently realigned.


Wrapping up for the day just south of the SR 37/Banta Road intersection, the paving crew cleans the equipment.


The scene at 6:30 pm, looking slightly northeast from near the SR 37/Banta Road intersection. The day was not over for some, as a team was getting ready (background) to do some joint cutting.


Recently paved section; looking slightly southeast. The wheelbarrow is used for concrete slump tests.


Another view of the paving crew and equipment, which has stopped for the day just south of the SR 37/Banta Road intersection.


Cross section view of the recently laid down concrete slab; looking east. Looks to be either 12" or 14" thick. Note the joint cut. The pickup is traveling south on the northbound lanes of SR 37, and is not involved in the construction.


Another perspective; looking slightly northeast from near Banta Road. The SR 37/SR 144 intersection is around the bend and about a mile further.

[mgk920]

ODOT used the concrete-over-asphalt method when they constructed the US 30 freeway from Beaverdam to OH 235 north of Ada. One of my classmates had co-oped with ODOT during that time; basically it provided a stable relatively watertight base course under the concrete and may improve longevity of the pavement. Also, it is possible the ultimate pavement cross-section could be less thick than a traditional concrete-on-aggregate slab, which would somewhat moderate the materials cost differentials.

MnDOT used that method when they upgraded US 52 between I-90 and Rochester, MN to a full freeway back in, I want to say, the mid-late 1980s.

Mike

[abqtraveler]

ODOT used the concrete-over-asphalt method when they constructed the US 30 freeway from Beaverdam to OH 235 north of Ada. One of my classmates had co-oped with ODOT during that time; basically it provided a stable relatively watertight base course under the concrete and may improve longevity of the pavement. Also, it is possible the ultimate pavement cross-section could be less thick than a traditional concrete-on-aggregate slab, which would somewhat moderate the materials cost differentials.

MnDOT used that method when they upgraded US 52 between I-90 and Rochester, MN to a full freeway back in, I want to say, the mid-late 1980s.

Mike

Looking again at the pictures, it appears they put down a fairly thick layer of asphalt (just eyeballing it...looks like about 10"-12" thick) and an equally thick layer of concrete (again...by my visualization it looks alike about a 12' slab). That should make for a good solid road that should hold up for quite some time.

[ITB]

INDOT design specifications for PCCP thickness are based in part on anticipated AADTT. Here's the pertinent chart from the department's Design Manual:


Courtesy INDOT.

And here's INDOT's specifications for HMA thickness, based on AADTT.


Courtesy INDOT.

Edit: Added HMA chart

[Rick Powell]

Looking again at the pictures, it appears they put down a fairly thick layer of asphalt (just eyeballing it...looks like about 10"-12" thick) and an equally thick layer of concrete (again...by my visualization it looks alike about a 12' slab). That should make for a good solid road that should hold up for quite some time.

I was on the original construction of I-55 in Illinois. One of our sections used a base material called "CAM" - concrete aggregate mixture, basically a mixture of gravel, sand, water, and less cement than a normal concrete would use. It was sprayed with a liquid asphalt coating and then concrete pavement was laid on top. There were other sections of I-55 where an asphalt base was used. But both these base types were on the order of 4" thick, and the concrete pavement on top was maybe 8-9". The overall increase in truck traffic and weights, as well as better knowledge of pavement design, has led to thicker layers.

Looking at the I-69 photos, I am not sure the asphalt base looks as thick as the pavement. The entire layer isn't readily visible from any view I've seen. The pics showing the dowel rod assemblies look like the base may be in the 4" thickness range, but that's assuming the asphalt base is sitting atop the adjacent stone base. Somewhere there should be a plan set online that answers the question.

[ITB]

In response to my inquiry about PCCP over asphalt, INDOT directed me toward their Design Manual, specifically Section 52-5.03, which is as follows:


Courtesy INDOT.

So an asphalt subbase under PCCP is utilized primarily due to its drainage features and where underdrains are required.

In an earlier post I termed the asphalt subbase "flexible." This needs clarification. In road building, asphalt pavement is usually considered a flexible pavement, as opposed to PCCP, which is considered rigid. Here's a short passage on pavement history from INDOT's Design Manual:



Courtesy INDOT.

Also, in INDOT's Design Manual, I came across an asphalt layer called a Rich Bottom Layer.


Courtesy INDOT.

While I didn't inquire, it's possible the asphalt put down prior to paving with PCC south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection (as pictured in an earlier post) is a Rich Bottom Layer. The main purpose of the RB Layer, as stated, is to prevent bottom-up cracking.

It seems apparent INDOT and its engineers are making doubly sure the new I-69 mainline pavement just south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection is built to last. To that end, a thick PCC slab is being put down, and to enhance drainage, an asphalt subbase has been utilized. To be sure, this comprises only a small section of Section 6, but it shows the extra mile INDOT is going to ensure quality.

[Rick Powell]

While I didn't inquire, it's possible the asphalt put down prior to paving with PCC south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection (as pictured in an earlier post) is a Rich Bottom Layer. The main purpose of the RB Layer, as stated, is to prevent bottom-up cracking.

It seems apparent INDOT and its engineers are making doubly sure the new I-69 mainline pavement just south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection is built to last. To that end, a thick PCC slab is being put down, and to enhance drainage, an asphalt subbase has been utilized. To be sure, this comprises only a small section of Section 6, but it shows the extra mile INDOT is going to ensure quality.

Not sure they'd use a crack resistant bottom asphalt layer as part of the base. It would make more sense on a full depth asphalt pavement where cracks propagating up from the base would eventually make their way to the top. Where you have a rigid concrete slab on the top the asphalt, the asphalt cracking would stop at the bottom of the concrete layer, where the dissimilar materials have little mechanical bond with each other. Concrete is a "bridging" material that can withstand small variations in subbase support much better than full-depth asphalt can. Of course, larger voids in the sub-base, as well as soft or undermined soils underneath the base, can affect the performance of concrete, but good initial soil compaction, replacement of soft soils before paving, and improved drainage usually alleviate those sorts of issues.

[ITB]

While I didn't inquire, it's possible the asphalt put down prior to paving with PCC south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection (as pictured in an earlier post) is a Rich Bottom Layer. The main purpose of the RB Layer, as stated, is to prevent bottom-up cracking.

It seems apparent INDOT and its engineers are making doubly sure the new I-69 mainline pavement just south of the SR 37/SR 144 intersection is built to last. To that end, a thick PCC slab is being put down, and to enhance drainage, an asphalt subbase has been utilized. To be sure, this comprises only a small section of Section 6, but it shows the extra mile INDOT is going to ensure quality.

Not sure they'd use a crack resistant bottom asphalt layer as part of the base. It would make more sense on a full depth asphalt pavement where cracks propagating up from the base would eventually make their way to the top. Where you have a rigid concrete slab on the top the asphalt, the asphalt cracking would stop at the bottom of the concrete layer, where the dissimilar materials have little mechanical bond with each other. Concrete is a "bridging" material that can withstand small variations in subbase support much better than full-depth asphalt can. Of course, larger voids in the sub-base, as well as soft or undermined soils underneath the base, can affect the performance of concrete, but good initial soil compaction, replacement of soft soils before paving, and improved drainage usually alleviate those sorts of issues.

You're probably right. It was just a guess that a Rich Bottom Layer of asphalt might have been put down prior to PCC paving. In light of your analysis, that that happened appears more unlikely.

[edwaleni]

Great discussion on pavement types and standards. Keep up the good work on the posts. I have learned more in 4 or 5 posts on paving standards than my 30 years of rote observation.

I was the kid who would stand in the front yard and watch the municipal street crew rip up the oil and chip, pulverize it, recycle and and repave with new oil mixed in. Just don't walk across barefoot in the summer or get oil spots on your feet!

[Avalanchez71]

The I-69 will cost nearly 1 Billion dollars to run it across from IN into KY and over the Ohio River to meet up with the current signed I-69 with estimates of 35 years of maintenance (yeah right).  It is time to Breezewood now and save 1 Billion dollars.


Central Alternative 1B is the lowest-cost option. Construction has been separated into Sections 1 and 2. The total estimated construction costs are $237 million for Section 1 and $975 million for Section 2 (year of expenditure). This total cost includes roadway and bridge operations and maintenance for 35 years following completion of construction.

[sprjus4]

The I-69 will cost nearly 1 Billion dollars to run it across from IN into KY and over the Ohio River to meet up with the current signed I-69 with estimates of 35 years of maintenance (yeah right).  It is time to Breezewood now and save 1 Billion dollars.


Central Alternative 1B is the lowest-cost option. Construction has been separated into Sections 1 and 2. The total estimated construction costs are $237 million for Section 1 and $975 million for Section 2 (year of expenditure). This total cost includes roadway and bridge operations and maintenance for 35 years following completion of construction.

[zzcarp]

The I-69 will cost nearly 1 Billion dollars to run it across from IN into KY and over the Ohio River to meet up with the current signed I-69 with estimates of 35 years of maintenance (yeah right).  It is time to Breezewood now and save 1 Billion dollars.


Central Alternative 1B is the lowest-cost option. Construction has been separated into Sections 1 and 2. The total estimated construction costs are $237 million for Section 1 and $975 million for Section 2 (year of expenditure). This total cost includes roadway and bridge operations and maintenance for 35 years following completion of construction.

If I were responding to the comment as if it were in good faith, I could agree. If this project was done in the 60s, they would route I-69 over the existing twin bridges (with design exceptions for the substandard shoulders), bring the approaches up to interstate standards, and call it a day. It would probably have a cost tag well south of the contemplated $1.2 billion.

However, we live in 2021 where we have to construct bridges to modern standards with shoulders/breakdown lanes. It will be a toll bridge and pay off the bonds over time. And, I suggest it will reduce the out-of-pocket maintenance costs year-to-year in the meantime since the new bridge will be paid for and only one of the two old bridges will remain to be maintained.

[edwaleni]

Analysis of any expressway development cannot be solely measured in cost terms.

Others would prefer to measure it in purely economic terms, for example new business along the way.

There are plenty of other ways to measure the costs and benefits of these efforts.

- Lives saved through the means of a safer travel route
- Pollution reduced by taking away the stop/go nature of travel over that same distance

The list can be long and comprehensive. Read the EIS for this route if you want to see more cases.

But in good faith, I can easily say looking at the billions spent is not the whole picture.