Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[silverback1065]

Unfortunately, that would mean SR-37 would "disappear" northbound after the Liberty Church Rd exit, with I-69 being signed only from Martinsville north. I guess I'm saying that could have been better planned to have 37 end at the I-69/SR-37 interchange south of Bloomington.

Will 37 end up being 3 disjoint parts?

• Tell City to Bloomington
• Fishers to Marion
• Fort Wayne to Ohio border

Or maybe 4, including that small part south of I-469 where I-69 will curve to the west?

Yes, once 69 is complete, 37 will not exist in between the splits with 69. the new interchange on the NE side removes 37. And the Martinsville section already won't have 37 signed.

[abqtraveler]

Unfortunately, that would mean SR-37 would "disappear" northbound after the Liberty Church Rd exit, with I-69 being signed only from Martinsville north. I guess I'm saying that could have been better planned to have 37 end at the I-69/SR-37 interchange south of Bloomington.

Will 37 end up being 3 disjoint parts?

• Tell City to Bloomington
• Fishers to Marion
• Fort Wayne to Ohio border

Or maybe 4, including that small part south of I-469 where I-69 will curve to the west?

Are you talking about restoring the SR-37 designation to the Maysville Pike and Stellhorn Road inside of the I-469/SR-37 interchange? Or is there a proposed realignment of I-69 planned south of Fort Wayne that I'm not aware of, that would expose some of the old SR-37 alignment in that area and make it eligible for re-designation? I'm confused.

[mukade]

SR 101 has four segments. And they don't even line up.

[GaryV]

Unfortunately, that would mean SR-37 would "disappear" northbound after the Liberty Church Rd exit, with I-69 being signed only from Martinsville north. I guess I'm saying that could have been better planned to have 37 end at the I-69/SR-37 interchange south of Bloomington.

Will 37 end up being 3 disjoint parts?

• Tell City to Bloomington
• Fishers to Marion
• Fort Wayne to Ohio border

Or maybe 4, including that small part south of I-469 where I-69 will curve to the west?

Are you talking about restoring the SR-37 designation to the Maysville Pike and Stellhorn Road inside of the I-469/SR-37 interchange? Or is there a proposed realignment of I-69 planned south of Fort Wayne that I'm not aware of, that would expose some of the old SR-37 alignment in that area and make it eligible for re-designation? I'm confused.

Sorry, 465 (south of Indy) not 469.

[abqtraveler]

Unfortunately, that would mean SR-37 would "disappear" northbound after the Liberty Church Rd exit, with I-69 being signed only from Martinsville north. I guess I'm saying that could have been better planned to have 37 end at the I-69/SR-37 interchange south of Bloomington.

Will 37 end up being 3 disjoint parts?

• Tell City to Bloomington
• Fishers to Marion
• Fort Wayne to Ohio border

Or maybe 4, including that small part south of I-469 where I-69 will curve to the west?

Are you talking about restoring the SR-37 designation to the Maysville Pike and Stellhorn Road inside of the I-469/SR-37 interchange? Or is there a proposed realignment of I-69 planned south of Fort Wayne that I'm not aware of, that would expose some of the old SR-37 alignment in that area and make it eligible for re-designation? I'm confused.

Sorry, 465 (south of Indy) not 469.

Okay, that makes more sense, but I think the remnant of SR-37 where I-69 will jog to the west before merging with I-465 will be too short to keep a state route designation. i think official plans call for that to be an extension of Harding Street when all is said and done.

[mukade]

It would be a great opportunity for INDOT to clean up some of the illogical disconnected segments like SR 37 has. When the system was being built out in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, discontinuous parts could be justified because gaps were presumably intended to be filled over time. At this point, creating gaps that will never be filled just adds confusion.

[silverback1065]

Unfortunately, that would mean SR-37 would "disappear" northbound after the Liberty Church Rd exit, with I-69 being signed only from Martinsville north. I guess I'm saying that could have been better planned to have 37 end at the I-69/SR-37 interchange south of Bloomington.

Will 37 end up being 3 disjoint parts?

• Tell City to Bloomington
• Fishers to Marion
• Fort Wayne to Ohio border

Or maybe 4, including that small part south of I-469 where I-69 will curve to the west?

Are you talking about restoring the SR-37 designation to the Maysville Pike and Stellhorn Road inside of the I-469/SR-37 interchange? Or is there a proposed realignment of I-69 planned south of Fort Wayne that I'm not aware of, that would expose some of the old SR-37 alignment in that area and make it eligible for re-designation? I'm confused.

Sorry, 465 (south of Indy) not 469.

Okay, that makes more sense, but I think the remnant of SR-37 where I-69 will jog to the west before merging with I-465 will be too short to keep a state route designation. i think official plans call for that to be an extension of Harding Street when all is said and done.

that leftover piece will not be a signed state highway.

[ITB]

A few more pictures of the Martinsville segment. Photos were taken Tuesday, December 14, 2021, unless otherwise noted.


As night approached, a concrete paving crew was at work paving a small section of the southbound inside shoulder and part of the left lane near the State Road 37/Morgan Street intersection just north of Martinsville; looking northwest.


Another perspective of the paving operation; looking southeast. In the foreground is Morgan Street, tinged by the taillight of a passing car.


The State Road 37/Morgan Street intersection just north of Martinsville; looking east. It was around 5:45pm and a steady stream of vehicles southbound on SR 37 were funneling into Martinsville. By now a good number of drivers who regularly use SR 37 have figured out that going through Martinsville is a better alternative than the detour.


Mid-range view of the paving operation and the SR 37/Morgan Street intersection; looking slightly northwest.


The view looking southwest. The little green neon specks are probably from dust on the camera lens that caught the light in a certain way.


Close up view of the paving operation with the long range lens; looking slightly northwest. The crew had only a little bit more to go before calling it a night. It appears several hundred more feet of the inside shoulder is being prepped for paving, which may get underway Wednesday, December 15th.


Another view of the paving operation. This little segment needed to be completed before reconfiguring the slipform paver to pave adjacent to the barrier wall.

As expected, the concrete paving of the southbound drive-lanes between the State Road 44 overpass and the SR 37/Morgan Street crossing to the north is now complete. That leaves only the southbound inside shoulder area north of SR 44 as the final concrete paving work. And that has started already. Good weather is forecast Wednesday with a high around 60 — and, yes, that temp is unusual for this time of year — but rain is expected both Thursday and Friday, followed by cooler weather. It should take only a couple of days to pave up the shoulder area, which means it will probably be completed early next week, weather dependent. Work is continuing on the roundabouts at the SR 252/Hospital Dr. interchange. As noted in an previous post, SR 252/Hospital Dr. will be closed Wednesday, December 15, in the construction zone to facilitate the roundabout work. The closure is anticipated to last about a week.

Edit: Added a photo; minor text additions

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtkTAdxlUMg

Here's an update video on the I-69 corridor in Marion County with some design modifications. At Epler Avenue, the original plans called for I-69 to go over Epler, but I-69 will now go under Epler. Belmont Avenue will be realigned west of I-69, so that means the intersection with Edgewood Avenue will be closed permanently with a cul-de-sac sometime in Spring 2022.

[Life in Paradise]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtkTAdxlUMg

Here's an update video on the I-69 corridor in Marion County with some design modifications. At Epler Avenue, the original plans called for I-69 to go over Epler, but I-69 will now go under Epler. Belmont Avenue will be realigned west of I-69, so that means the intersection with Edgewood Avenue will be closed permanently with a cul-de-sac sometime in Spring 2022.

So we will expect some more closures for traffic taking that route to Indianapolis.  At least close to Indy, there will be some work-arounds (ie-old highway 37 into town).

[silverback1065]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/morgan-county/martinsville/interstate-69-will-open-for-traffic-next-week-in-martinsville

Northbound opens Monday and southbound later in the week!

[CoolAngrybirdsrio4]

Nice to hear it opening after a nearly year of construction!

[mukade]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/morgan-county/martinsville/interstate-69-will-open-for-traffic-next-week-in-martinsville

Northbound opens Monday and southbound later in the week!

The WRTV article says:

When work is complete, I-69 will run from the Canadian border at Port Sarnia, Michigan to Evansville.

Hmmm. I guess basic geography isn't the strong suit of that reporter.

[jlam]

Will the segment from Martinsville to SH 144 be signed as I-69, or just have open lanes?

[NWI_Irish96]

Will the segment from Martinsville to SH 144 be signed as I-69, or just have open lanes?

As of now, the state has only applied for the I-69 designation up to IN 44. When it reopens, it will be freeway all the way up to IN 144 but the I-69 designation won't get applied until later.

[ITB]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/morgan-county/martinsville/interstate-69-will-open-for-traffic-next-week-in-martinsville

Northbound opens Monday and southbound later in the week!

I'll admit I was very surprised to hear the news of the northbound lanes opening on Monday. But pleasantly surprised. Ryctor2018 called it earlier this week, and a hat tip is deserved. I had thought the northbound lanes would be opened Monday, December 27th, followed soon afterwards by the southbound. But, obviously, the powers-that-are had other ideas.

There's still a lot of work to do in Martinsville. The roundabouts at the SR 252/Hospital interchange are a work in progress as is the southbound inside shoulder north of State Road 44. Moreover, State Road 252/Hospital Dr. is still closed in the construction zone and, apparently, will be for a few more days, unless there's been a change in plans. If SR 252/Hospital Dr. remains closed northbound I-69 traffic will not be able to exit at that interchange. To be sure, the closure may be just a few days. Nevertheless, I wonder why the contractor wasn't given a few more days to more fully complete the interchange. It all seems so rush, rush, these last few days.

I was planning to go to Martinsville on Sunday for another look-see. But the news of the opening induced me to head up Saturday afternoon. Even though it had rained a lot Friday night and into Saturday morning, finally tapering off around noon, I had a hunch something would be going on, work wise.

Here's a few pictures. Photos were taken Saturday, December 18, 2021, unless otherwise noted. Remember, to expand the photos, Right Click, or whatever works best with your browser.


Looking north from the State Road 44 overpass in Martinsville. Around 4:00pm, three crews were busy at work in this area, two at work placing concrete for the southbound inside shoulder and one extending the median barrier wall further south. Temperature was around 40 degrees.


The view looking southeast from near the SR 44 overpass. Work also was happening at the SR 252/Hospital Dr. I didn't have time for a closer look, but it appeared they were doing curb work for the roundabouts when I quickly peeked while driving by on Morgan Street.


Another perspective looking slightly northwest from the SR 44 overpass. Mixers and dump trucks loaded with fresh concrete were frequently arriving on site, and soon leaving for another batch. Earlier I had noticed a couple of dump trucks turning west onto Rogers Road in Martinsville, in all likelihood heading to the Rogers Group batch plant. That's probably were most, if not all, of the today's concrete was coming from.


And another look. It was chilly, and with evening rapidly approaching, getting dark. For a few minutes all the overhead lighting blinked on, then some were turned off. With only about 60 more feet to do on the barrier wall, the crew's short work day was coming to an end. As it needs time to cure, the barrier wall extension — an important safety feature — had to be completed ASAP. Near the sign posts, crew members have started covering the wall with protective, insulating sheeting, as temps as expected to drop into the low 30s tonight.


Mid-range shot; looking north from the SR 44 overpass.


And one more. Construction vehicles of all sorts usually with lights flashing were zipping up and down the northbound lanes, heading to one spot or another. It was quite a scene to behold.

I took more pictures and many from different locations near the work zone north of SR 44. However, I've maxed out my hard drive, so I've got to deal with that first before uploading more photos to my Flickr page and then posting here.

Edit: Added a couple more photos.

[Ryctor2018]

Thanks, ITB. But, you're there daily in the cold taking pics for us. You da man! I tip my cap to you. I was relying on my C.E. background to guesstimate the opening day(s). With the holiday's right around the corner, I know those guys in the construction zone wanna get this wrapped up as much as they can before the holiday break. They need it working many hard days, and deserve the time to spend with their families.

I would imagine that the route would not be fully open; I would not be surprised at all if both directions of I-69 have cones blocking lanes, more concrete to pour and signage and other punch items to do well into Jan 2022. I won't be able to drive down from Chicago to view it myself. I'll be 1,000 miles away in Florida for the holidays so I'll check on the pics/video after the road opens.

[ITB]

Few more pictures. Photos were taken Saturday, December 18, 2021, unless otherwise noted.


The view looking south from the State Road 44 overpass in Martinsville two days before the northbound lanes will be opened to traffic, Monday, December 20th.


Closer look.


Placing concrete for the southbound inside shoulder about a half mile south of the State Road 44 overpass; looking northwest.


Different perspective of the above; looking south.


Looking southeast from near the State Road 37/Morgan Street intersection just north of Martinsville.


Dump truck loaded with fresh concrete headed to delivery; looking southeast from about a quarter mile north of the SR 44 overpass.


Another look south from near the SR 44 overpass in Martinsville.


Southbound signage about a quarter mile south of the SR 44 overpass; looking southeast.


Cleaning cut concrete joints with either high pressure water or air about a half mile north of the State Road 44 overpass; looking west.


Looking slightly northwest toward the State Road 37/Morgan Street intersection just north of Martinsville. When the northbound lanes are opened tomorrow the Morgan Street access point to northbound State Road 37 will be closed.


Spot where the northbound collector/distributor lane will merge with the mainline about a half mile of the SR 44 overpass; looking south. Note the solid white stripe delineating the left lane.

[thefro]

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/northbound-stretch-of-i-69-through-martinsville-opens-monday/531-0c9ccffc-5f3d-49b0-96b8-5d529a7c652d

They're doing a ribbon-cutting today with the Governor and state/local politicians, so if they wanted to do that before the Holidays that would also explain the rush to get stuff open.

[edwaleni]

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/northbound-stretch-of-i-69-through-martinsville-opens-monday/531-0c9ccffc-5f3d-49b0-96b8-5d529a7c652d

They're doing a ribbon-cutting today with the Governor and state/local politicians, so if they wanted to do that before the Holidays that would also explain the rush to get stuff open.

You have to like that WTHR traffic girl....."there gonna be a ribbone cuttin taday"

[Thegeet]

"It is with great pride that I officially open this unfinished bridge" Bikini Bottom Mayor from SpongeBob,2002.

[cjw2001]

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/northbound-stretch-of-i-69-through-martinsville-opens-monday/531-0c9ccffc-5f3d-49b0-96b8-5d529a7c652d

They're doing a ribbon-cutting today with the Governor and state/local politicians, so if they wanted to do that before the Holidays that would also explain the rush to get stuff open.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDOT/bulletins/3010faf

[thefro]

Here's a project update video focusing on Marion County that was posted Thursday

[zzcarp]

Another look south from near the SR 44 overpass in Martinsville.

Is that a mistake? I thought IN 44 only went eastbound from this intersection.

[CoolAngrybirdsrio4]

https://www.wlfi.com/content/news/New-Interstate-69-section-reopened-in-central-Indiana-575950821.html

It turns out southbound lanes will open later this week.