Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[Brandon]

The Goog probably underestimates speed on US 41.

No, they don't.  US-41 goes through the middle of Terre Haute.  There are also several signals on US-41 and IN-63 along with many 55 and 45 mph zones.

[NE2]

Well it's now saying 5 hours 7 minutes. Maybe SEWIGuy sillily dragged the route to follow US 41 through Hammond-Whiting.

How's US 150 through West Terre Haute (crossing the Wabash River on I-70) as a bypass? The Goog has it taking 5 minutes (and 3 miles) longer, but it completely avoids downtown Terre Haute.

[Brandon]

Well it's now saying 5 hours 7 minutes. Maybe SEWIGuy sillily dragged the route to follow US 41 through Hammond-Whiting.

How's US 150 through West Terre Haute (crossing the Wabash River on I-70) as a bypass? The Goog has it taking 5 minutes (and 3 miles) longer, but it completely avoids downtown Terre Haute.

Not too bad, but there are still several signals south of I-70 on US-41 by the Honey Creek Mall area with a 40 or 45 mph limit.

[SEWIGuy]

Well it's now saying 5 hours 7 minutes. Maybe SEWIGuy sillily dragged the route to follow US 41 through Hammond-Whiting.

How's US 150 through West Terre Haute (crossing the Wabash River on I-70) as a bypass? The Goog has it taking 5 minutes (and 3 miles) longer, but it completely avoids downtown Terre Haute.

The bottlenecks in Terre Haute are mostly south (and just north) of I-70 aren't they?

And yeah, I probably didn't drag the original routing properly! 

[SSF]

any portion of US 41 in Terre Haute is going to be slow, but it is slower south of I-70. 

To get to US 150 to avoid downtown Terre Haute? that route would not be feasible/sensible for anyone taking US 41 down from Chicagoland.

[NE2]

To get to US 150 to avoid downtown Terre Haute? that route would not be feasible/sensible for anyone taking US 41 down from Chicagoland.

What's infeasible about this? It might then be worthwhile to bip over to Canal Road and pick up SR 641.

[SSF]

NE2-well, getting from US 41 over to 150 isn't the easiest thing to do, it would take backtracking on some county roads and SR 63 as your map indicates. From 41, you would take SR 63 north a mile or so, take a county road/old mining access road back to US 150, but that is going to add at least 3 miles to your trip.  US 150 through W Terre Haute is a 35 mph road and has about a half dozen stop lights.  Darwin Road to I-70 has heavy local traffic.  Then taking exit 7 to US 41 throws you out right on the worst part of US 41 through Terre Haute, so you add 10 miles to your trip and in my opinion( I grew up on the Illinois side of Terre Haute in Edgar County, IL for the first 25 years of my life), it will cost you time and there is nothing on that alternate stretch worth seeing. 

[NE2]

Through traffic from Chicago would be on SR 63...

[Brandon]

Through traffic from Chicago would be on SR 63...

Which I can never figure out why these two were not flipped.  What is IN-63 should be US-41, IMHO.  It's the through route.

[SEWIGuy]

Through traffic from Chicago would be on SR 63...

Which I can never figure out why these two were not flipped.  What is IN-63 should be US-41, IMHO.  It's the through route.

The refusal to flip-flop numbers was a short-term decision (to placate those on the routes), without taking a long-term view.  US-41 between IN-63 and Terre Haute is really a beautiful drive, but it is basically on a road worthy of a secondary state highway...it make no sense considering what is both north and south of there.

[hbelkins]

Seems like that would scream for an Alt. US 41 designation.

[SEWIGuy]

Or simply IN-141. 

[silverback1065]

Or just having it the way it is also works

[SEWIGuy]

Or just having it the way it is also works

Well it clearly works...but it is nonsensical to have a major, four lane highway running the entire length of the state that starts with one number...continues with another when the previous number veers off on a minor path...only to reacquire that number later.

It's not going to be changed now.  But it should have been when the route was upgraded.

[mukade]

...it is nonsensical to have a major, four lane highway running the entire length of the state that starts with one number...continues with another when the previous number veers off on a minor path...only to reacquire that number later.

The Hoosier Heartland Highway is not too dis-similar as it is US 24 for much of it, but then it becomes SR 25 between Lafayette and Logansport. That could be US 24 the whole way even if it would add miles to that route... if they hadn't decommissioned Sagamore Parkway in Lafayette.

[Alps]

Or just having it the way it is also works

Well it clearly works...but it is nonsensical to have a major, four lane highway running the entire length of the state that starts with one number...continues with another when the previous number veers off on a minor path...only to reacquire that number later.

It's not going to be changed now.  But it should have been when the route was upgraded.

Not entirely four lanes, but US 222/PA 272 south of Lancaster.

[US 41]

Well it's now saying 5 hours 7 minutes. Maybe SEWIGuy sillily dragged the route to follow US 41 through Hammond-Whiting.

How's US 150 through West Terre Haute (crossing the Wabash River on I-70) as a bypass? The Goog has it taking 5 minutes (and 3 miles) longer, but it completely avoids downtown Terre Haute.

Not too bad, but there are still several signals south of I-70 on US-41 by the Honey Creek Mall area with a 40 or 45 mph limit.

Take my advice. Just use 3rd Street it's the fastest way. 1st Street isn't too bad either, but it ends at Margaret (the main road just north of 70).

[US 41]

Oh and be careful in downtown Terre Haute if you ever go through there. The Speed Limit drops from 40 to 30 for no good reason and there are always cops in that area. When your on the overpass in downtown TH that goes over the railroad tracks, you get to see the best view of the Terre Haute skyscrapers. Short skyscrapers (the tallest being two 15 story buildings, the Statesman Towers), but still skyscrapers.

[tdindy88]

Surprised that no one's brought this up yet, but work on Section 5 from Bloomington to Martinsville is slated to begin next year (2014) with completion in 2016.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/dec/30/bloomington--martinsville-phase-interstate-69-star/

[Captain Jack]

Oh and be careful in downtown Terre Haute if you ever go through there. The Speed Limit drops from 40 to 30 for no good reason and there are always cops in that area. When your on the overpass in downtown TH that goes over the railroad tracks, you get to see the best view of the Terre Haute skyscrapers. Short skyscrapers (the tallest being two 15 story buildings, the Statesman Towers), but still skyscrapers.

I say this as a parent of an ISU student, not a Terre Haute basher. That isn't a skyline, it reminds me of a Chicago housing project view. When I drive across that overpass, I am usually humming the opening theme of "Good Times".

With that out of the way, I will say I have always liked the Sycamore building. It's a quirky old building with a lot of history.

[US 41]

I went to the top of the Sycamore Building just the other day.

[Grzrd]

Well, they are awaiting FHWA approval, so that is the primary reason for not doing it sooner. They did get AASHTO approval that is also contingent on FHWA approval. So this time will allow INDOT time to plan this as a real project seeing there are so many signs to change over: 9 interchanges on I-164 in 21 miles and enhanced reference markers every .2 miles. Also, they want to give nearby businesses a few months to update their advertising.

I don't think that anyone has posted about final FHWA approval (if someone has, then I simply missed it), but a recent Q & A with FHWA indicates that the redesignation has been official since November 14:

Q: Has FHWA officially approved the redesignation of I-164 as I-69 in Indiana, and the redesignations of I-540 as I-49 and AR 549 as I-49 in Arkansas?

A: I-164 was redesignated as I-69 on November 14, 2013 from I-64 to U.S. Route 41 in Indiana.  I-540 and AR 549 have not been redesignated as I-49 in Arkansas.

[thefro]

Tree clearing work to begin soon in preparation for Section 5 Construction.

http://www.in.gov/activecalendar/EventList.aspx?fromdate=1/1/2014&todate=1/31/2014&display=Month,Month&type=public&eventidn=154556&view=EventDetails&information_id=193421&print=print

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has awarded a $2 million contract to Crider & Crider Inc. of Bloomington for tree clearing along State Road 37 in preparation for I-69 Section 5 construction, which will begin later this year. Tree removal is the first step in upgrading 21 miles of the existing, four-lane S.R. 37 between Bloomington and Martinsville to interstate standards.

Drivers should watch for crews working alongside S.R. 37 this winter and prepare for short-term lane closures and reduced work zone speed limits.

Under agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other regulatory agencies, INDOT is not cutting trees after March 31 to minimize impacts to the endangered Indiana bat during its roosting season. Any person or entity offering to cut trees within these restricted time frames is not working for or on behalf of INDOT.

INDOT encourages nearby landowners and loggers to follow the tree cutting restriction as well. Timber buyers and agents must be licensed under Indiana law, and must pay landowners for timber harvested. Landowners may verify that a timber buyer or logging company is properly licensed by searching the Indiana Online Licensing website at http://mylicense.in.gov.

In addition to the 4,100 acres preserved for I-69 Section 4, INDOT is purchasing land or preservation easements for an additional 1,100 acres to mitigate the environmental impacts of I-69 Section 5. More than 800 acres of established forest will be preserved in perpetuity and 300 acres of new trees will be planted in areas where additional bat habitat is needed.

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. Private sector proposals to design, build, finance, operate and maintain I-69 Section 5 are due in late January.

[thefro]

http://indianapublicmedia.org/news/tree-clearing-i69-section-5-begins-week-62192/

Tree removal begins this week in Bloomington for I-69 Section 5.

Crews this week will begin clearing trees along S.R. 37 in preparation for I-69 construction.

That means short-term lane closures and reduced work zone speed limits along S.R. 37.  Crews will begin work at Beanblossom Creek Overflow, near the partial interchange at Walnut Street, and continue south through Bloomington.

Tree removal is the next step in upgrading 21 miles of the existing, four-lane S.R. 37 between Bloomington and Martinsville to interstate standards. Indiana Department of Transportation officials say that work will begin later this year.

[thefro]

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.