Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[ITB]

More pics, for your viewing pleasure. All were taken August 13, 2015 unless otherwise identified.


Grinding down the hill at Harmony Road, Monroe County, Indiana, to lower the roadbed to match that of Section 7; looking northwest. E. S. Wagner & Co., prime contractor (Indiana I-69 Project, Section 4, Segment 8). The concrete is the beginning of a 2-mile stretch of paved roadway between Harmony Road and Breeden Road.


Excavation work continues on the mainline roadbed at Harmony Road; looking northwest.


The nearly complete Harmony Road bridge; looking north.

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Guardrail work using a metal-cutting saw on Harmony Road bridge.


Mainline grading activities; looking northeast from Harmony Road.


Sub-base material being laid for mainline I-69, just south of the Happy Creek bridges in Monroe County; looking southeast. E. S. Wagner & Co., prime contractor (Segment 8).

[ITB]

One last batch. Photos were taken August 13, 2015 unless otherwise identified.


Mainline I-69 bridges over Carmichael Road and Indian Creek in eastern Greene County, Indiana. E & B Paving, prime contractor (Indiana I-69 Project, Section 4, Segment 6).


Another perspective of the mainline I-69 bridges crossing Carmichael Road and Indian Creek in Greene County. In the background, where earth work is ongoing, note the dividing line between Segments 5 and 6. The stretch of roadway between the bridges and the SR 445/I-69 interchange will probably be paved with PCCP soon, if not already.

And, finally, a quick glance at Section 5.


Nearly completed Rockport Road and bridge over SR 37/future I-69 in Monroe County, Indiana; looking east. I-69 Development Partners/Isolux [subs Crider & Crider; Force Construction; E & B Paving] (Indiana I-69 Project, Section 5).


Another perspective of the Rockport Road bridge; looking northeast.


Activities continue in and around the future 17th Street/Vernal Pike bridge; looking west. The road in the background is Vernal Pike.


Looking north at State Road 37/future Interstate 69 from the vicinity of the 17th Street/Vernal Pike construction zone.

[ITB]

It was recently mentioned on the forum (Andy, I believe) that paving had begun on Segment 9 for the new State Road 37/I-69 interchange ... so I motored over for a quick look-see. Yes, indeed, we have asphalt! Photos were taken August 16, 2015.


I-69 Segment 9 mainline paving with the first and the start of the second layer of asphalt. Looking north toward the State Road 37/I-69 interchange from the Bolin Lane overpasses. The road spur swinging right in the background is the exit ramp for SR 37 South. Crider & Crider, prime contractor (Indiana I-69 Project, Section 4, Segment 9).


Another view of the I-69 Segment 9 mainline pavement, looking north toward the Bolin Lane overpasses.


A slightly different vantage point, again looking north toward the Bolin Lane overpasses.


And, lastly, another perspective looking north toward the State Road 37/I-69 interchange from the Bolin Lane overpasses.


Looking south from near the Bolin Lane overpasses toward the mainline bridges over an unnamed tributary to Clear Creek in Monroe County, Indiana. Just beyond the overpasses is the dividing line between Segments 8 and 9.


Another view of the mainline and the bridges over an unnamed tributary to Clear Creek, looking south.


The field office for I-69 Section 4, Segment 9 contractor Crider & Crider on S. Glenview Dr. in Monroe County, Indiana.

[tdindy88]

I must say I'm loving your pictures, I'm finding out more about the construction right here than I am through local media (mainly due to the Herald-Times paywall) and INDOT. My dad's very interested in this project and when he asks me if I know anything knew about the construction I just show him this page.

[hbelkins]

Is that field office a home that will eventually be torn down for construction?

[noelbotevera]

Is that field office a home that will eventually be torn down for construction?

Yup, it's a house that may be sold to people who want to live there if/when construction is done.

[SW Indiana]

Love the pictures... Keep em coming!

I love the smell of fresh asphalt. 

[thefro]

Rockport Road overpass now open for traffic, Fullerton Pike closing for interchange construction.  I'd say that's the first major piece done of the Section 5 improvements.

Will be interesting to see where they end up being at on the schedule for Section 5 by the end of the year.

[vtk]

Is that field office a home that will eventually be torn down for construction?

Yup, it's a house that may be sold to people who want to live there if/when construction is done.

That's sort of the opposite of what HB was guessing, so not a "yes", but thanks for clarifying.

I was wondering why such elaborate architecture for a temporary structure, but this actually makes sense. Why spend money to build a box that'll be torn down, when instead you can build a nice looking house and sell it for a profit when you're done with it?

[Big John]

^^ Usually portable trailers are used for field offices.

[Purgatory On Wheels]

Is that field office a home that will eventually be torn down for construction?

Yup, it's a house that may be sold to people who want to live there if/when construction is done.

I suspect that HB is far more intelligent than you seem to be giving him credit for being.

His question most likely stems from the fact that the house pictured looks relatively new.  In areas where new right-of-way is being constructed, it's common for buildings to be condemned and demolished, and some of those buildings that exist close to, but not directly within, the construction zone are appropriated by the contractors to be used as field offices.  When plans for new construction are announced, it would be unusual for authorities to issue a building permit for land likely to be bought by the state soon after.  Obviously the homeowner wouldn't want to lose the house, and the state wouldn't want to have to pay even more to condemn improved land.  So the picture makes one wonder: did someone drop the ball, or did the routing change significantly? 

Be more judicious in your posts.

[Pete from Boston]

The address is in the photo caption.

This is the house: I-69 Field Office House on Bing Maps

[SW Indiana]

Home was built in 2009, according to this http://egis.39dn.com/egisv4/View/egisprc.cfm?pin_18=53-08-30-400-011.000-008

[AsphaltPlanet]

Great pictures, thanks so much for sharing them.

[Alex]

Is that field office a home that will eventually be torn down for construction?

The address is in the photo caption.

This is the house: I-69 Field Office House on Bing Maps

I suspect it was a house taken via eminent domain that was repurposed for the I-69 road work. When Rush Wickes and I met up with Brian Doreste from MTR back in 2000, we met at the DelDOT Field Operations center (where Brian worked), which was located in a house just east of the DE 1/72 interchange at Wrangle Hill. The house was retrofitted with raised floors to accommodate all of the computer wiring and equipment. You could still however grasp the original layout while walking through it.



This 2002 aerial shows the house just east of the northbound gore point for Exit 152. It was demolished by 2005 and the site is now a part of a DMV facility. The Indiana house probably has the same fate.

[bmeiser]

Theoretically, it looks like it could stay.  I-69 will be in it's backyard, but it doesn't look like it will be in the right-of-way, along with the rest of the neighborhood (except for the northern part of Glenview Dr).

[trafficsignal]

There are multiple options - could have been a foreclosure sitting empty, a random house that was for sale when the contractor was looking for field offices, maybe even posted for rent.  While a portable trailer is typical, anything can be used if meets minimum specs and the Contractor feels it will save them money - houses to be demolished after construction, an office in town, whatever.

[bmeiser]

True.  I've visited a field office that was set up in a strip mall.

[vdeane]

And I've seen one that was even in an actual office complex on the route being worked on.

[Pete from Boston]

I stopped in and chatted with the folks more or less sitting idle at the Mon-Fayette Expressway office once.  It was in a disused Pizza Hut.

[Big John]

Most extensive field office I have seen is for the I-41 project in Green Bay.  They are using a former Circuit City store for it and they are using the whole space.

[hbelkins]

I've seen houses that were bought for ROW and were scheduled to be torn down used as field offices up until the time the demolition was required. It would seem to be an absolute waste, not to mention an abuse of eminent domain and downright inhumane, to buy an occupied home and force the residents to move just to set up a field office. And it's hard to believe that it would be more economical for a contractor to buy a home so they could set up a field office instead of moving one of their trailers onto the site.

Is that field office a home that will eventually be torn down for construction?

Yup, it's a house that may be sold to people who want to live there if/when construction is done.

That's sort of the opposite of what HB was guessing, so not a "yes", but thanks for clarifying.

I was wondering why such elaborate architecture for a temporary structure, but this actually makes sense. Why spend money to build a box that'll be torn down, when instead you can build a nice looking house and sell it for a profit when you're done with it?

I doubt this wet-behind-the-ears teenager from Pennsylvania has any clue about what's going to become of that house. My guess is that it will be unfit for human habitation, unless it undergoes a lot of work, after being used for a construction field office and having muddy boots tracked all through it. I still think my original guess is probably closer to the truth.

^^ Usually portable trailers are used for field offices.

True.  I've visited a field office that was set up in a strip mall.

The Mountain Parkway widening project has an overall project field office in a small strip mall in Salyersville. An employee keeps the office open and documents and images are available for public view (but, every time I have stopped there, they've been closed.) However, the construction project now underway has a project office onsite that is a portable trailer. Given that the entire project is going to be broken up into individual pieces and two separate improvements have different contractors, there will probably be more than one field office set up.

[mgk920]

Most extensive field office I have seen is for the I-41 project in Green Bay.  They are using a former Circuit City store for it and they are using the whole space.

Didya check out the scale model in the lobby?



Mike

[Big John]

Most extensive field office I have seen is for the I-41 project in Green Bay.  They are using a former Circuit City store for it and they are using the whole space.

Didya check out the scale model in the lobby?



Mike

Yes, where they had to add notes as the model had roundabouts at the Oneida St and Lombardi Ave interchanges.

[Pete from Boston]

Back to the southern end, there's been a fair amount of speculation here about the future of the tail end of what was 164 in Evansville.  I noticed (but did not photograph) that the shield has been removed from the [sic] "ENDS 164" sign with no replacement 69 shield.  This is, of course, a mile or so beyond where 69 is proposed to leave the current roadway at Green River Rd., so even a temporary "ENDS 69" would be inaccurate in both a local segment and national scope.