Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[tdindy88]

There's only three sections planned for sound barriers, between SR 45 and Fullerton Pike I believe. Besides, it seems that it is now INDOT policy to install them when a highway gets widened such as SR 37, becoming a six-lane I-69 around Bloomington. It's a surprise that more sound walls aren't going up.

[Rushmeister]

Re: sound walls and the song of the highway

Evidently, sound walls provide a great benefit for people that live very near a busy highway, else we wouldn't be building the walls.  I mention  this because of how much noise I hear from my home, which is situated 1.8 miles from I-65, on flat, somewhat open terrain in a subdivision with a significant portion of Lebanon, Indiana, between me and the highway. I know that if I lived close to an interstate I would definitely want some sort of structure made of earth or masonry or whatever state-of-the-art sound-deflecting/absorbing material is used today, between me and the noise source. 

Regarding my location 1.8 miles from I-65 as it skirts Lebanon, presumably much of the road noise is absorbed by vegetation, the earth, and man-made structures of the city.  However, when I take my dogs for a walk at 5 a.m. I can clearly discern the background rumble of I-65's engines and tires-on-pavement noise.  It is constant and dominates the background noise of the city. It is particularly noticeable when a truck driver applies his compression brakes or when nine of his tires slip over onto the wake-up rumble strips lining the inner and outer lanes.  It is loud and clear.  And it is in my backyard.  I wonder how far out into the countryside the sound actually travels.

Of course, inside my well-constructed and insulated home, I can't hear the song of the highway, but I'll bet there are at least a few hundred fellow "Lebanese" who have it piped right into their bedrooms and living rooms -- the lyrical voice of the jake brake backed up by the constant drone of tires-on-pavement, complete with the spirited and tuneful notes of air horns, all accompanied by the mournful rhythm of rumble strips. 

In general, I guess most folks just get used to it after a while.  The human brain has the uncanny ability of tuning out or minimizing undesirable sensory inputs, e.g., road noises, elevator music, nagging spouses.

[US 41]

In Terre Haute on the SR 641 Bypass between SR 46 and I-70 I have heard that sound barriers will go up there too. I guess we'll have to wait and see if what I heard is the truth, but there nicer suburbs in that area, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did.

[Rick Powell]

All states follow the FHWA noise policy to some extent.  Basically there are several allowable ranges for increases in noise level, both the absolute noise level and the change in noise level.  For residential areas these numbers are around 67 dBA or an absolute increase of 15 dBA over the existing noise, after the improvement is in place, measured outdoors at the receptor.  Even if a location meets the threshhold for consideration of a barrier, a "reasonable and feasible" criteria is applied to determine if it is financially and engineering-wise prudent to construct a wall.  Sometimes it is not feasible engineering-wise, such as multiple driveways present which would require openings of the barriers and destroying their effectiveness.  Sometimes it would cost too much to build the barrier for the benefit obtained. 

[tdindy88]

^^^ I live very near I-65 on the south side, so I have experience with highway noise. As stated above like others, I have gotten used to the noise. Now it's stranger to NOT hear the highway noise (such as during heavy snowfalls or construction.) Speaking of which, I have heard construction vehicles a few months ago on the project, but I'm pretty much used to anything that highway throws at me. I am very curious to see what impacts the new sound barriers will have. I am surprised to see that the Lebanon stretch of I-65 didn't get any new walls (or maybe they haven't been installed yet.)

As for I-69 (since that is the thread,) I'm certain that this won't be the last we hear about such walls. Whatever routing the highway takes around Martinsville ought to allow for some sound walls through that city and the segment of Section 6 around the Center Grove and Perry Township areas mean we could see sound walls for the last few miles of highway leading up to I-465.

[thefro]

The Bloomington Herald Times has posted a gallery of new construction images of Section 4 here.

[billtm]

Is the Bloomington to Indy section of I-69 a high priority corridor? Also, what is the current estimated completion time for that corridor?

[Pete from Boston]

It's all Corridor 18.

[JimBob]

Section 4 is to be opened by late 2014 through mid-2015.

As the contracts are completed on this section, what is the strategy for opening partial sections?

[Henry]

Section 4 is to be opened by late 2014 through mid-2015.

As the contracts are completed on this section, what is the strategy for opening partial sections?

I think it would make the most sense to start at the the point where the highway currently ends and work its way up to the next temporary end.

[andy]

Section 4 is to be opened by late 2014 through mid-2015.

As the contracts are completed on this section, what is the strategy for opening partial sections?

I think it would make the most sense to start at the the point where the highway currently ends and work its way up to the next temporary end.

It may not be that simple.  The last contract awarded was section 2 which is between the existing end and the next exchange at SR45.  Further, the issues with that seemed to be in timing and the first discussions of sometime in 2015 began when that contract was finally awarded.

Somewhere (I can't say where), I got the impression the sections from the SR45 south exchange to SR37 could be done earlier and might open before the sections 1,2 and 3 are done.  This would leave a still broken roadway, but a couple of thousand employees at NAVSEA Crane, would appreciate it. And the SR45 to SR58 hop around the unfinished section is relatively straight and convenient.

In the last few weeks, I was able to drive part of the construction.  Many of the bridge beams are in place, but more still need to be placed and there is a lot of dirt still to be moved.

[Grzrd]

This June 26 Warrick County Chamber of Commerce press release, primarily making the case for the I-69 Ohio River bridge, states that the I-164-to-I-69 conversion will be complete by the end of the year:

If you drive on I-164 you will soon see the signs changing to I-69. The transition from I-164 to I-69 will be complete by the end of this year.

[thefro]

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140707/LOCAL06/140709586/-1/LOCAL11

Indiana plans to issue $250 million in bonds to help pay for construction of the latest segment of Interstate 69.

The Evansville Courier & Press reports the developer chosen to build the stretch of highway from Bloomington to Martinsville will repay the tax-exempt bonds.

The bond documents estimate the total cost of the project at $370 million, with the state paying $80 million up front and making annual payments to I-69 Development Partners to maintain the highway for 35 years.

[Captain Jack]

Article from the Evansville Courier regarding Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation prioritizing Ohio River Bridge.


Plans for an Interstate 69 bridge linking Indiana and Kentucky received a boost of recognition from the state on Wednesday.

The project was scored among the highest for future transportation projects by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Infrastructure, whose membership includes Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

Gov. Mike Pence accepted the recommendations from the report, but though it lists the I-69 bridge as a key state project, no funding is provided for the project by its inclusion in the report.

Winnecke, who was in Indianapolis for the report's release, said he's working to dispel a cost estimate of $1.4 billion for the project. He said the actual cost for the bridge over the Ohio River likely will range between $700 million and $800 million.

Winnecke said he's asked Pence to provide funding for an environmental impact study for the bridge, which is a required step to determine the route.

Winnecke said he was pleasantly surprised to see how the bridge rated in the report by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Infrastructure and how other members of the commission saw its importance. The bridge is included as one of four "Tier 1"  projects, which rated as the most significant to the state.

"One of the beauties of the commission is that people really took time to research and read data that were presented in the project,"  Winnecke said. "In our minds in Southwest Indiana, (the bridge) is a completion of I-69."

A second Southwestern Indiana project included in the report was the Southwestern Indiana Port Connections, which would improve access to the Port of Indiana at Mount Vernon. The project, estimated to cost $620 million, would construct a connector between I-69 and the port.

"The panel's work has recognized several opportunities for the state to build on, and I hope that many of these ideas will encourage a broader conversation on the future of transportation infrastructure in this state,"  Pence said in a statement on the report.

Winnecke said Pence indicated he would direct state agencies to begin assessing the panel's work product.

Building the I-69 bridge will be a joint venture between Kentucky and Indiana.

Kentucky officials have already done work to study a potential location for the bridge and hope is for construction to begin by 2020.

In October, Winnecke and Henderson (Kentucky) Mayor Steve Austin launched BridgeLink, an organization focused on building the bridge over the Ohio River.

The panel's report, presented by Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann who serves as its co-chair, also recommended the state index its gas tax to increase with inflation, build a new bypass around Indianapolis and consider user fees to supplement highway funding.

The group – appointed by Gov. Mike Pence – detailed a funding crisis facing the state: Revenue from the state's gas taxes are falling as cars become more fuel efficient but the cost of building roads is increasing.

Still, the funding issues didn't stop the panel from proposing new highway projects. In addition to the I-69 bridge and Mount Vernon project, it said the state needs to add lanes on Interstates 65 and 70 and improve its rail and port infrastructure.

And the group said the so-called Commerce Connector in Central Indiana is "a high priority, critical project because of its ability to facilitate the movement of freight and passenger traffic into and around Indianapolis,"  particularly at bottleneck locations including the intersection of I-69 and I-465 on the northeast side.

While the report did not recommend specific funding for specific projects, it noted that the state's current funding method isn't working.

Much of the state's transportation funding comes from an 18-cent per gallon tax on gasoline. But revenue from that tax has been decreasing, even though Hoosiers are traveling roughly the same number of vehicle miles. That's because as cars get more fuel efficient, drivers use less gas to go the same distance.

At the same time, the cost of building roads is increasing, the panel said. Indexing the tax means it would go up as inflation rises, which could generate more money for state highway construction.

The report also said the state should consider user fees. It said that could include a fee on alternative fuel vehicles – which generate even less revenue through the state's gas tax.

The group also proposed that the state:

- Increase the length of semitrailers permitted on highways from 53 feet to 57 feet to increase payload per truck.

- Mandate trailers have three axles instead of two to reduce the weight per axle by approximately 50 percent and reduce road damage.

- Designate high-occupancy lanes to encourage more passengers per vehicle.

- Revise state law to allow for driverless vehicles.

© 2014 Evansville Courier & Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 

[silverback1065]

Ugh will they please kill the commerce connector crap! If they want to get traffic flowing better why dont they actually fix what we have rather than building new roads?
Post Merge: July 10, 2014, 07:30:58 AM
But that is off topic good to see them interested in building the 69 bridge though.

[US 41]

Ugh will they please kill the commerce connector crap! If they want to get traffic flowing better why dont they actually fix what we have rather than building new roads?

I thought the Accelerate 465 project was what INDOT decided to do instead of building the Commerce Connector. Maybe I'm wrong though.

[trafficsignal]

Ugh will they please kill the commerce connector crap! If they want to get traffic flowing better why dont they actually fix what we have rather than building new roads?

I thought the Accelerate 465 project was what INDOT decided to do instead of building the Commerce Connector. Maybe I'm wrong though.

Accelerate 465 was the west side work.  They did Operation Indy Commute (north side version) instead of completing the northeast side 465 work.

[mukade]

I drove down to Crane on July 4 to see how I-69 section 4 construction is going. It certainly looks as if none of it will open in 2014, but a lot has happened since I went down last fall. The SR 37/I-69 interchange south of Bloomington is coming along, but has a long way to go. The only section 5 prep work I saw was tree clearing on the south side of Bloomington.

Below are some pictures I took:

I-69 at US 231 looking east (not much change at all)


I-69 at SR 45 looking west


I-69 at SR 45 looking east


SR 54 at I-69 looking north


I-69 at SR 54 looking east

Pictures from last fall are here

[mukade]

A couple of other I-69 notes. There is a "standard" county line sign ("entering Daviess County ; leaving Greene County") sign on I-69 now. Last year, I didn't notice any county signs. One of the BGSes ad been blown down as well. Overall however, the existing new highway looked good.

I was in a hurry  when I took the recent pictures, but there were two others that may be of interest. The best progress I saw was at SR 54 and SR 37. I will try to go down some back roads this fall if I have time.


I-69 just west of SR 54 looking west - same vantage point as picture with the caption labeled "Construction around SR 54" last fall.



SR 37 overpass over future I-69 south of Bloomington

[silverback1065]

There are so many bgs still blown down from the winter. Indot needs to get on the ball and fix them!

[thefro]

The battle between INDOT and Monroe County continues...

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/07/15/indot-vs-monroe-county-battle-construction-noise/12675777/

Complaints of beeping backup warning alarms and roaring heavy equipment at all hours of the night got so bad on the I-69 project that Monroe County officials late last month said enough was enough.

The County Commissioners passed a noise ordinance that members hoped would force state highway crews to keep it down between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

But that didn't sit well with state highway officials, who are behind schedule on the fourth section of the interstate. The section runs through Greene County to Bloomington – and right next to the homes of some of the loudest opponents of the controversial road project.

On Friday, the Indiana Department of Transportation sued Monroe County, alleging the commissioners do not have legal authority to hinder a state and federal highway project by restricting when work can be done.

Equally important, the suit alleges, the ordinance has thrown a monkey wrench into the I-69 project, which is so behind schedule some crews have been forced to work at night to catch up.

"At least one INDOT contractor has threatened to alter its work schedule and cease work during certain hours in reaction to ... the ordinance,"  reads the complaint filed in Marion Superior Court. "By causing an increase to the time need (sic) to complete the necessary work, the ordinance forces INDOT to devote personnel to the I-69 project in Monroe County for a longer period, and also divert personnel who could be available for other projects."

INDOT is asking for a temporary restraining order to override the ordinance, alleging it violates Indiana's Home Rule Act, which prevents a county from imposing burdens on the agency or regulating matters that fall under INDOT's purview.

A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Marion Superior Civil Court 10.

INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield said $100 million in contracts have been bid to complete Section 4, which would connect the already-built sections from Evansville to Ind. 37 in Bloomington.

Wingfield said contractors already have had to meet noise limits set under the terms of their contracts.

He said the delays caused by the ordinance have so hampered crews, it's impossible to say when the new stretches of road might be open to traffic.

"Certainly, we won't be able to put out an updated estimate until this matter is resolved,"  Wingfield said.

Under the ordinance, violators can be fined up to $2,500 for a first offense or up to $7,500 for additional violations.

Monroe County officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Longtime I-69 opponent Thomas Tokarski can see the construction from his property. He said he and others made frequent calls to the sheriff to complain about the nighttime noise.

Tokarski, who has helped file legal challenges to stop the I-69 project over the years, said he sees the request for a restraining order as another example of INDOT bullying him and his neighbors.

"It's simply not acceptable,"  he said. "It's a complete lack of consideration for the lives of people who live out here. You would not believe the noise that goes on at night. All night long when they're working like that. You cannot sleep."

[jnewkirk77]

I hope when the road is done, everyone "forgets" to stop and spend any money in Bloomington. Do be sure to slow down a bit and "wave" at Mr. Tokarski. What you wave is completely up to you.

[silverback1065]

A friend of mine joked that indot shouldn't put an exit within 10 miles of bloomington

[Brandon]

I hope when the road is done, everyone "forgets" to stop and spend any money in Bloomington. Do be sure to slow down a bit and "wave" at Mr. Tokarski. What you wave is completely up to you.

I take it the "wave" might just include a single-finger salute.

[Henry]

A friend of mine joked that indot shouldn't put an exit within 10 miles of bloomington

Sure, that'll teach them! LOL