Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[silverback1065]

http://www.ibj.com/state-wants-early-access-to-long-term-transportation-fund/PARAMS/article/46164

State Senator Kenley apparently still pushing for the Indiana Commerce Connector to be used to complete I-69

Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, has suggested expanding I-69 to create an outer beltway around I-465.

Why do they keep bring this commerce connector idea up?! 

[US 41]

Spend some of the money on an interstate quality eastern bypass around Terre Haute for through US 41 / SR 63 traffic.

[US 41]

What is the Tapp Road / SR 45 interchange in Bloomington going to be like. A or B?

A) http://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=dEpaRxBurp

B) http://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=G0kWWzEut2

[thefro]

What is the Tapp Road / SR 45 interchange in Bloomington going to be like. A or B?

A) http://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=dEpaRxBurp

B) http://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=G0kWWzEut2

B... it's going to be a split diamond.  I believe that's required to meet Interstate standards due to the two exits (Tapp Road & 2nd Street/SR 45) being less than a mile apart.

[thefro]

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/contractor-for-i--section-to-be-named-wednesday/article_beec5c1d-5f50-555d-a73d-128ea761bf59.html

The group that will design/build/finance I-69 Section 5 is expected to be named this morning at the Indiana Finance Authority's meeting (going on right now)

edit: It's the Isolux Infrastructure Netherlands B.V.-led group
https://twitter.com/INDOTSoutheast/status/436162536694501377

[thefro]

http://www.in.gov/activecalendar/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=160590&information_id=196051&type=&syndicate=syndicate

Here's the press release... looks like this partnership is going to shave about $70 million more off the cost off completing ($394 million was the price quoted in the ROD)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) Board this morning made the preliminary selection of I-69 Development Partners, a team led by Isolux Infrastructure Netherlands B.V. to design, build, finance, operate and maintain I-69 Section 5 from Bloomington to Martinsville. Isolux has partnered with the local resources of contractors E&B Paving of Anderson, Force Construction Company of Columbus and Gradex Inc. of Indianapolis to preserve and upgrade the existing State Road 37 to interstate standards.

The preferred proposal would design and build the project for $325 million. Construction will begin later this year and the 21 new miles of interstate is scheduled to open by the end of 2016, several years ahead of schedule. The contract will limit the length and duration of lane closures to help maintain traffic flow for existing S.R. 37 traffic.

"I am firmly committed to finishing what we started with I-69 from Evansville to Indianapolis so products and people will be able to move even more freely, and towns will be open to commerce and opportunity for more Hoosiers," said Governor Mike Pence. "The private sector can harness a different character of innovation to find greater efficiencies, and this project will continue Indiana's strong track record of partnering to deliver quality projects on budget and ahead of schedule."

Indiana is a national leader in leveraging private capital and innovations to deliver transportation infrastructure sooner than expected and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. For I-69 Section 5, Indiana leveraged its stellar credit rating to attract low-cost private sector financing using an availability payment form of public-private partnership (P3).

Availability payment P3s transfer cost, schedule and quality risks away from taxpayers during such time that the private sector is responsible for construction, operations and maintenance. If the road isn't made "available" to the public in compliance with performance standards in the contract, the recurring, inflation-adjusted payments are reduced accordingly.

About the Interstate 69 Project

The new Interstate 69 between Evansville and Indianapolis is a key component to the future economic vitality of southwestern Indiana, and will connect an entire region with improved access to jobs, education and healthcare. The 142-mile I-69 corridor was divided into six independent sections in the Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement, which was approved with a Record of Decision in March 2004.

The first three sections opened for business in November 2012 - under budget and years ahead of schedule - and save motorists more than 30 minutes travel time in the 67 miles between Evansville and Crane. Construction is underway on all 27 miles of I-69 Section 4 between Crane and Bloomington, which is expected to open to traffic in phases during late 2014 and early 2015.

More information about the I-69 Evansville to Indianapolis project may be found at www.i69indyevn.org.

Competitive Proposal Process

Over the past four weeks, separate technical and financial review teams of IFA and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) staff evaluated and scored the final proposals submitted by four short-listed contracting teams. The proposals from all four teams were responsive based upon pass-fail criteria in the Request for Proposals (RFP). The criteria that the IFA and INDOT used to evaluate the final Technical and Financial Proposals is listed in the final RFP published at www.in.gov/ifa/2779.htm.

Next week the IFA will publish more information on its website explaining the preliminary selection, including portions of the preferred proposal. The documents will also be available for public review at IFA offices, One North Capitol Street, Suite 900, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The IFA Board will hold another meeting in early March, to make a final determination on the selected proposer, which is subject to Indiana Budget Committee review before a final decision is issued by the Governor.

[US 41]

What is the Tapp Road / SR 45 interchange in Bloomington going to be like. A or B?

A) http://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=dEpaRxBurp

B) http://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=G0kWWzEut2

B... it's going to be a split diamond.  I believe that's required to meet Interstate standards due to the two exits (Tapp Road & 2nd Street/SR 45) being less than a mile apart.

I hate split diamonds.

[thefro]

The Indiana Finance Authority has posted the technical documents from I-69 Development Partners/Isolux Infrastructure Netherlands B.V bid.
http://www.in.gov/ifa/2779.htm (at the bottom of this page)




(from page 31 of this PDF)

You can find an extremely detailed schedule starting here (page 56)

They are going to go ahead and make the road 6 lanes from SR 37 to Sample Road now since it'll allow them to speed up construction and keep the normal traffic flow while they're working on the road.

Full scale construction will start in Bloomington in August of this year.  Note that all 4 new interchanges are expected to open in 2015 (Fullerton Pike & Tapp Road will for sure) and everything needed to allow for free-following traffic in Bloomington will be complete by the end of 2015.

[mukade]

Has INDOT given any hints on the timeline for starting the process for construction of section 6? I assume that also will be a PPP project. The most expensive part will be the new interchange at I-465 and the mile or two of the new route going south from there. I hope at least that will be done in the relatively near future.

[tdindy88]

I've been taking a look at the drawings from the winner of the bid to construct Section 5, so I take it the split-diamond interchange is gone with Tapp and SR 45. I actually do like a lot of what I see and see that there will be some aesthetic enhancements done to the highway that will incorporate the local limestone. I really do wish Indiana would do more of that to enhance the beauty of the highway. I know some folks in Bloomington aren't thrilled with the highway, but at least it may look really nice when it's all said in done, perhaps nicer than many of the six-lane highways around Indy.

Anyway, I've seen some of the signage plans that the group posted for this stretch of interstate. They show Bloomington as the SB control city and Indy as the NB control, even when the highway is on the west side of B-Town. I'm really hoping that changes to Evansville for south and Indy for north. But beyond that, it's typical signage for INDOT. I've gone ahead and posted what I think will be the exit numbers along the way. The signage plans don't have the correct numbers, I believe they refer to the SR 37 mile markers and not I-69, but since US 231 is Exit 87 then there should be no way that Fullerton Pike is Exit 97. Since the SR 37 interchange with I-69 is supposed to be Exit 114, I'll base my following list off of that. This is based on an assumption that the Fullerton Pike exit is one mile north of that, the distance is close. Mind you, this list is merely academic:

-Exit 114: SR 37 south (Bedford)
-Exit 115: Fullerton Pike
-Exit 116: Tapp Road
-Exit 117: SR 45/2nd Street (oddly, does not include the name Bloomfield Road, which is the actual name of the road at this point)
-Exit 118: SR 48/3rd Street
-Exit 120: SR 46 (signage seems the same, they may just add exit tabs for these)
-Exit 124: Walnut Street/College Avenue (southbound only)
-Exit 126: Sample Road
-Exit 134: Liberty Church Road

And it probably won't be signed yet, but if SR 39 exit stays eventually that may be likely Exit 136, but these are all complete guesses.

[silverback1065]

I've been taking a look at the drawings from the winner of the bid to construct Section 5, so I take it the split-diamond interchange is gone with Tapp and SR 45. I actually do like a lot of what I see and see that there will be some aesthetic enhancements done to the highway that will incorporate the local limestone. I really do wish Indiana would do more of that to enhance the beauty of the highway. I know some folks in Bloomington aren't thrilled with the highway, but at least it may look really nice when it's all said in done, perhaps nicer than many of the six-lane highways around Indy.

Anyway, I've seen some of the signage plans that the group posted for this stretch of interstate. They show Bloomington as the SB control city and Indy as the NB control, even when the highway is on the west side of B-Town. I'm really hoping that changes to Evansville for south and Indy for north. But beyond that, it's typical signage for INDOT. I've gone ahead and posted what I think will be the exit numbers along the way. The signage plans don't have the correct numbers, I believe they refer to the SR 37 mile markers and not I-69, but since US 231 is Exit 87 then there should be no way that Fullerton Pike is Exit 97. Since the SR 37 interchange with I-69 is supposed to be Exit 114, I'll base my following list off of that. This is based on an assumption that the Fullerton Pike exit is one mile north of that, the distance is close. Mind you, this list is merely academic:

-Exit 114: SR 37 south (Bedford)
-Exit 115: Fullerton Pike
-Exit 116: Tapp Road
-Exit 117: SR 45/2nd Street (oddly, does not include the name Bloomfield Road, which is the actual name of the road at this point)
-Exit 118: SR 48/3rd Street
-Exit 120: SR 46 (signage seems the same, they may just add exit tabs for these)
-Exit 124: Walnut Street/College Avenue (southbound only)
-Exit 126: Sample Road
-Exit 134: Liberty Church Road

And it probably won't be signed yet, but if SR 39 exit stays eventually that may be likely Exit 136, but these are all complete guesses.

are there plans to not have a sr 39 interchange? 

[tdindy88]

I've always assumed that it's staying, but Section 6 hasn't been set into stone yet by INDOT.

[andy]

are there plans to not have a sr 39 interchange?

More guessing, but the existing sr39 interchange isn't likely to meet with any current design standards.  I'm sure there will be an exchange linking to sr39 though I'd not be suprised if it moves up or down the highway a bit.

[thefro]

The SR 39 interchange is listed as part of Section 6, so it's outside the scope of this construction.  It wasn't included in the final ROD/FEIS for Section 5.

They still have to do the Tier II study for Section 6 and then go through that process.

INDOT's study website says:

Once the construction on Section 5 is well underway, INDOT will advance the environmental studies in section 6.

[thefro]

The Indiana Daily Student (Indiana University student newspaper) reports on the last stand of the NIMBYS/CARR people at the meeting for public comment on the I-69 Development Partners bid

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=96983

[ShawnP]

Distressing article as they list the project as being only 12 feet long.

[silverback1065]

Distressing article as they list the project as being only 12 feet long.

Hahaha wow!

[thefro]

Distressing article as they list the project as being only 12 feet long.

Hahaha wow!

Students have called it the "Indiana Daily Stupid" for 40+ years,  even though IU has an outstanding journalism school.

[Brandon]

Distressing article as they list the project as being only 12 feet long.

Hahaha wow!

Students have called it the "Indiana Daily Stupid" for 40+ years,  even though IU has an outstanding journalism school.

One could say the two are not mutually exclusive.

[thefro]

The Indiana Finance Authority has given its final approval to I-69 Development Partners winning the bid for Section 5.  It goes to the Indiana Budget Committee and then Governor Pence for final approval after that.

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/finance-authority-approves-i--development-partners/article_e2753052-ba7e-53a3-bdf4-84bf1a99712c.html

The Indiana Budget Committee will meet on March 11th at 8:30 and has I-69 Section 5 on their agenda.

[US 41]

I heard Martinsville doesn't want the interstate. Is that true. I believe it since a lot of their businesses are kind of built on SR 37 (on frontage roads, but there are several stoplights on 37 in Martinsville).

[tdindy88]

I think (just my own opinion however) that they are simply unsure of the interstate's impact on their town since it hasn't been set into stone what will happen with I-69 through there. Since it hasn't even been approved where exits will go the town can't really prepare itself about how to access those businesses through town. I wonder if they should just pull a Kokomo and bypass I-69 around the city to the southeast of the current SR 37 route with tie-ins at each end and perhaps an exit with 252 and 44 (or both together.) They could make the current SR 37 Business I-69 (won't happen of course.)

[silverback1065]

I think (just my own opinion however) that they are simply unsure of the interstate's impact on their town since it hasn't been set into stone what will happen with I-69 through there. Since it hasn't even been approved where exits will go the town can't really prepare itself about how to access those businesses through town. I wonder if they should just pull a Kokomo and bypass I-69 around the city to the southeast of the current SR 37 route with tie-ins at each end and perhaps an exit with 252 and 44 (or both together.) They could make the current SR 37 Business I-69 (won't happen of course.)

They'd call it 37 before they'd pick business 69

[andy]

I heard Martinsville doesn't want the interstate. Is that true. I believe it since a lot of their businesses are kind of built on SR 37 (on frontage roads, but there are several stoplights on 37 in Martinsville).

I don't know much of the discussion in Martinsville, but my experience with the "Bloomington doesn't want I-69" might also apply here.  There were/are many in Bloomington who have always wanted I-69, but are intimidated by the vocal anti-69 groups.

That being said, I'm sure Martinsville has some major concerns about loosing the existing SR-37 to an I-69 upgrades.  The frontage roads you mention are far too inadequate to support the loss of the existing road.  Not to say the recent build-up has wisely factored in the possibility of said upgrade.

I would expect a couple of miles of new terrain "bypass" with 37 remaining as a Business-37 and that's probably what the businesses are pushing for.

[silverback1065]

I heard Martinsville doesn't want the interstate. Is that true. I believe it since a lot of their businesses are kind of built on SR 37 (on frontage roads, but there are several stoplights on 37 in Martinsville).

I don't know much of the discussion in Martinsville, but my experience with the "Bloomington doesn't want I-69" might also apply here.  There were/are many in Bloomington who have always wanted I-69, but are intimidated by the vocal anti-69 groups.

That being said, I'm sure Martinsville has some major concerns about loosing the existing SR-37 to an I-69 upgrades.  The frontage roads you mention are far too inadequate to support the loss of the existing road.  Not to say the recent build-up has wisely factored in the possibility of said upgrade.

I would expect a couple of miles of new terrain "bypass" with 37 remaining as a Business-37 and that's probably what the businesses are pushing for.

The anti69 groups lost, the pro69 people shouldn't be afraid to speak up now