Indiana Notes

[csw]

Any idea what the work on I-70 on the west side is? They've had EB closed for a few weeks and it looks like WB will be closed in a few days. There are a few very old button copy overheads on Sam Jones Expwy for the I-70 ramp that now have CLOSED banners plastered on them, so I'm wondering if they've reached the end of their life.

[silverback1065]

They're doing a lot of patching, deck repair and overlay, sign replacement, and drain cleaning.

[MrManlet]

Yep I think we can kiss those button copy signs goodbye. 

[csw]

Good thing I got some photos of them then (albeit in very poor lighting)!

At least most of the stuff along I-65 still lives.

[Rushmeister]

Any idea what the work on I-70 on the west side is? They've had EB closed for a few weeks and it looks like WB will be closed in a few days. There are a few very old button copy overheads on Sam Jones Expwy for the I-70 ramp that now have CLOSED banners plastered on them, so I'm wondering if they've reached the end of their life.

Sam Jones Expressway is on my daily commute and I've often wondered the same thing about those button-copies, "How much time do they have left?"  But I also wonder who maintains them?  INDOT or the City of Indianapolis?  The answer to that question may play a large role in when the signs are retired.

PS: For some reason I still refer to the Sam Jones as "Airport Expressway".  Occasionally, I'll get an odd look for that, but that's one way you can tell who's new in town.  Other good test references are "465 Dog Leg" and "Old 100". 

[silverback1065]

Any idea what the work on I-70 on the west side is? They've had EB closed for a few weeks and it looks like WB will be closed in a few days. There are a few very old button copy overheads on Sam Jones Expwy for the I-70 ramp that now have CLOSED banners plastered on them, so I'm wondering if they've reached the end of their life.

Sam Jones Expressway is on my daily commute and I've often wondered the same thing about those button-copies, "How much time do they have left?"  But I also wonder who maintains them?  INDOT or the City of Indianapolis?  The answer to that question may play a large role in when the signs are retired.

PS: For some reason I still refer to the Sam Jones as "Airport Expressway".  Occasionally, I'll get an odd look for that, but that's one way you can tell who's new in town.  Other good test references are "465 Dog Leg" and "Old 100".

sam jones expressway is owned by indy dpw

[tdindy88]

Weirdly it seems that the westbound signs have been replaced with non button-copy and I thought at one point they were replaced with signs using a different looking font that was installed by the city before being replaced by a more normal looking font based on a typical INDOT sign. I believe both fonts are still a variation of FHWA fonts. The Shadeland Avenue expressway uses the same kind of "different" font.

I drove eastbound 70 this morning from I-465 to the South Split and was kind of impressed with how different the road felt. I don't normally drive that way so I can't say much on a comparison with the old roadway but it actually did feel pretty smooth. It felt a lot different than what was done to I-465 on the southwest and southeast corners in their closures over the last two years.

Speaking of button copy, it seems that most of it on I-65 has gone away. There used to be plenty from County Line Road north to Downtown but the widening projects on I-65 have largely gotten rid of them. There remains a couple of them off Southport Road that are just in that perfect zone where INDOT didn't have to remove them or bother to change them. Unless the bridge over the interstate gets replaced they will likely remain. There was some button copy around Keystone and I-65 but with that bridge project underway that looks to be gone. I would have thought that the remaining button copy from I-465 north to the South Split would have been replaced when the road was repaved last year but some still remains, I suppose it's still a matter of time.

[MrManlet]

Speaking of button copy: Spied these near the ITR on GSV.

[csw]

Speaking of button copy, it seems that most of it on I-65 has gone away. There used to be plenty from County Line Road north to Downtown but the widening projects on I-65 have largely gotten rid of them. There remains a couple of them off Southport Road that are just in that perfect zone where INDOT didn't have to remove them or bother to change them. Unless the bridge over the interstate gets replaced they will likely remain. There was some button copy around Keystone and I-65 but with that bridge project underway that looks to be gone. I would have thought that the remaining button copy from I-465 north to the South Split would have been replaced when the road was repaved last year but some still remains, I suppose it's still a matter of time.

Pretty much every sign between the south split and I-465 on the south side is still button copy - I just drove it a few days ago.

[tdindy88]

Apologies, what I meant to say in regards to the Keystone Avenue bridge project is that the button copy will likely be gone in the future, not yet. The sign bridges at that exit are already gone with new ones probably going up when they get the bridge rebuilt.

[thefro]

http://www.therepublic.com/2020/06/25/its_opening_railroad_overpass_eastbound_lanes_ready_for_traffic_friday/

The new SR46/SR11 railroad overpass in Columbus opened for Eastbound traffic about a week ago.

[ibthebigd]

http://www.therepublic.com/2020/06/25/its_opening_railroad_overpass_eastbound_lanes_ready_for_traffic_friday/

The new SR46/SR11 railroad overpass in Columbus opened for Eastbound traffic about a week ago.

Now if they just build another exit on the north side of Columbus

SM-G950U

[tdindy88]

I was looking around at new projects being planned around Indiana and came across this interesting one. While I do not see a date mentioned as to when this may be built, INDOT is planning on building it's first continuous-flow intersection at the intersection of U.S. 31 and SR 135/Thompson Road on the south side of Indianapolis. The project would also rebuilt the off-ramp from I-465 east onto U.S. 31 south. Where it is currently a free-flowing ramp the ramp would come to a signal first before traffic can turn south onto 31, this is to help with the new traffic movements immediately to the south. Here below is a look at the new intersection. SR 135 to on the left side of the intersection with Thompson Road to the right. Just above this image is the I-465 interchange.



And the website detailing the proposed project: https://www.in.gov/indot/4073.htm

[jhuntin1]

I was excited about this until I looked at the plan. I don't see how this is going to help traffic at that intersection other than by slowing everything down.

[tdindy88]

I don't think it will help much. I don't really think that intersection is much of a problem anyway. Maybe add another left turn lane from southbound US 31 onto Thompson Road and a second right turn lane from westbound Thompson onto US 31 and repave and touch up on the curbs and you're probably good there.

[Great Lakes Roads]

I have noticed that INDOT has added two "add travel lanes" projects for I-65...

1. From Memphis, IN (Blue Lick Road) exit to SR 56 (Scottsburg) exit- estimated start in Q3 of 2023
2. From north of SR 25 exit to north of SR 43 exit in the Lafayette area- estimated start in Q2 of 2022

[NWI_Irish96]

I have noticed that INDOT has added two "add travel lanes" projects for I-65...

1. From Memphis, IN (Blue Lick Road) exit to SR 56 (Scottsburg) exit- estimated start in Q3 of 2023
2. From north of SR 25 exit to north of SR 43 exit in the Lafayette area- estimated start in Q2 of 2022

Slowly creeping towards getting it all done.

[tdindy88]

I know they are doing some work at the Wabash River around Lafayette on I-65, I figured that was being done to accommodate an expansion to six lanes down the road.

[Great Lakes Roads]

I have noticed that INDOT has added two "add travel lanes" projects for I-65...

1. From Memphis, IN (Blue Lick Road) exit to SR 56 (Scottsburg) exit- estimated start in Q3 of 2023
2. From north of SR 25 exit to north of SR 43 exit in the Lafayette area- estimated start in Q2 of 2022

Also, INDOT will be adding lanes on I-70 between Mount Comfort Road exit to east of SR 9 (Greenfield) exit- estimated start in Q3 of 2021

[silverback1065]

I was looking around at new projects being planned around Indiana and came across this interesting one. While I do not see a date mentioned as to when this may be built, INDOT is planning on building it's first continuous-flow intersection at the intersection of U.S. 31 and SR 135/Thompson Road on the south side of Indianapolis. The project would also rebuilt the off-ramp from I-465 east onto U.S. 31 south. Where it is currently a free-flowing ramp the ramp would come to a signal first before traffic can turn south onto 31, this is to help with the new traffic movements immediately to the south. Here below is a look at the new intersection. SR 135 to on the left side of the intersection with Thompson Road to the right. Just above this image is the I-465 interchange.



And the website detailing the proposed project: https://www.in.gov/indot/4073.htm

Don't be so down on it without driving it first. It may work well. These things are modeled using software to vet their usefulness, so it will probably work well. I personally dont completely understand how it will work but we will see when it opens.

[3467]

Any other major arterial projects?

[ibthebigd]

The North Split in Indianapolis

SM-G950U

[I-55]

I have noticed that INDOT has added two "add travel lanes" projects for I-65...

1. From Memphis, IN (Blue Lick Road) exit to SR 56 (Scottsburg) exit- estimated start in Q3 of 2023
2. From north of SR 25 exit to north of SR 43 exit in the Lafayette area- estimated start in Q2 of 2022

Slowly creeping towards getting it all done.

The Indy-Louisville stretch has needed extra travel lanes. I can't recall a time I've ever set cruise on the route because of the speed-up/slow-down nature of traffic. There are two scenarios I've come across:

The first scenario comes from the split truck speed limit (70/65) coupled with trucks who want to pass each other at the least opportune of times. What you get is a situation where the trucks form a rolling roadblock at 65 mph or less, and taking up to five minutes to pass, then when the left lane clears there's a long convoy of vehicles behind them that takes awhile to come back up to speed, if they can get to speed before the next rolling roadblock.

I usually encounter this second situation on busier travel weekends when most traffic is tourist vehicles (this does NOT include spring break weekend, which is its own animal on I-65 and I-75). Here, the combination of on-ramp/off-ramp merges, roadwork, long distance travelers, and less frequent truck situations leads to dense traffic, albeit moving traffic. Traffic speed will fluctuate anywhere from 55-85 mph, neither lane is truly the fast lane, you just pick a lane and ignore the speedometer, just go as fast as the guy in front of you. Occasionally speed up and slow down or make a rare lane change (I find myself in the left lane most of the time only because the trucks are in the right lane and it's easier to see, they will typically flow with traffic but are slow to accelerate).

Adding lanes will allow the first scenario to be eased for sure, the second would stay close to the same, just with more breathing room and "Three Wide."

[Great Lakes Roads]

Get ready for a lot of construction happening on I-65 within the Boone County area for the next couple of years...

1. The interchange at Exit 133 (SR 267) will be modified (more like reconstructed) into a DDI as well as a new interchange ~a mile north of the Whitestown Parkway interchange (Exit 130) at CR 550 South, which also will be a DDI. As part of this project, minor ramp improvements will be happening at the NB Whitestown exit ramp as well as extending the third lane SB on I-65 for about three quarters of a mile at the I-865 interchange. https://www.in.gov/indot/3729.htm

This project will start this week, and the completion date is August of 2022.

2. Reconstruct and widen I-65 from north of SR 32 exit (Exit 140) to north of SR 47 exit (Exit 141). This project includes removing the NB bridge over the current left-hand exit to Lafayette Avenue (Exit 141) as well as shifting the NB lanes to run alongside the SB lanes (Phase I). The bridges over Spring Creek will be replaced in this project. The replaced SB exit to the right will NOT be part of this phase, but will be built as a separate phase (Phase II), which could happen in 2024. 
https://www.in.gov/indot/4031.htm

That should start in 2021, and that will get done by late 2022.

[tdindy88]

I was driving home from Richmond to Indy along I-70 and was reminded of how nice the rest areas along that part of I-70, around Centerville and Greenfield and it got me thinking that the state needs to update their other rest areas and maybe move some around strategically. Some of this strays into fictional territory but this would be my way of making the rest of Indiana's rest areas more updated, with more parking for cars and trucks (since we advertise the number of spaces now) while still serving the public. For this exercise I am proposing primarily the construction of rest areas similar to those I mentioned earlier along I-70 east as well as I-69 north (the Pipe Creek rest areas in Delaware County,) which I will refer to as the modern style. My plan adds three more rest areas (physically) but fills in service gaps along Indiana's interstates. Of my plan I would prioritize the upgrades to I-65's rest areas as first before moving onto the others.

I-64:
-Keep the welcome center at MM 7 and the Nancy Hanks rest areas at MM 59 in their current style
-Build a new welcome center in the modern design at Lanesville for westbound I-64 at MM 115

I-65:
-Retain the rest area/welcome center near Henryville in its current design.
-Build new rest areas in the modern design near Columbus at MM 71 or 72, there looks to be open land and room for much larger rest areas in the  modern design, demolish the current ones just north of there.
-Build new rest areas a mile or two north of the current ones in Boone County, about MM 150 or 151, build in the modern design
-Demolish the rest areas at Wolcott, MM 195 and convert to truck parking lot with maybe a small parking lot for cars
-Build new rest areas around MM 215 roughly 10 miles south of the current ones at the Kankakee River. The two new pairs of rest areas at MM 150 and 215 would include more parking to compensate for the lost of the rest area at Wolcott.

I-69:
-Build a new welcome center/rest area at Exit 10 (Lynch Road,) preferably in the southeast corner of the interchange where traffic can just go straight through the intersection to access. It can be there for southbound traffic as well to serve as an Evansville welcome center. Still it would be built in a modern design but perhaps take some design cues from the Padoga Visitors Center on the Ohio Riverfront in Evansville
-Build a new rest area at Exit 72, possibly in the northwest corner of the interchange with SR 58. Build in the modern design but with fewer parking spaces to accommodate the lower traffic. Include a small slip ramp off of the I-69 southbound off-ramp to access the rest area directly. Traffic can use nearby County Road 500 East and SR 58 to get back to I-69
-Build a new rest area at Exit 134 just northwest of where Liberty Church Road meets Turkey Track Road. Liberty Church Road currently ends at that road but you could continue across to access the rest area, available for both sides of the interstate. This one I admit would be a "nice-to-have."  Like the Exit 76 rest area it could be a smaller version of the modern design.

I-70:
-Retain the welcome center just west of the Illinois line, for now, but down the road maybe build a new one a mile or east or maybe even a few miles down the road past Exit 11
-Build new rest areas around MM 61 or 62 between SR 59 and SR 267. Build in the modern design; demolish the current rest areas nearer to Plainfield

I-74:
-Build new rest areas less than a mile west of the current rest areas in Lizton, built in the modern design.