Indiana Notes

[tdindy88]

Odd, I never have seen any wrong-way drivers there and I live a few blocks away from one of them. I think traffic in that area has gotten better personally. I don't see 20+ car backups on those streets anymore at rush hour. I'd say that people in the area have gotten used to the roundabouts a lot quicker than I thought they would have. I went through both of them no more than a couple of hours ago.

[bmeiser]

That's good to hear. They certainly do help traffic if used correctly. The particular one I'm talking about is at the Greenwood Park Mall and I witnessed these events a year or two ago. I haven't been on that side of town much lately.

[silverback1065]

That's good to hear. They certainly do help traffic if used correctly. The particular one I'm talking about is at the Greenwood Park Mall and I witnessed these events a year or two ago. I haven't been on that side of town much lately.

Developers of shopping malls should replace all their 4 way stops with roundabouts, it would make things so much better!

[trafficsignal]

That's good to hear. They certainly do help traffic if used correctly. The particular one I'm talking about is at the Greenwood Park Mall and I witnessed these events a year or two ago. I haven't been on that side of town much lately.

I saw the same thing several times when the roundabouts first went in in Noblesville at the Lowes & Walmart entrances off 37.  There are always a few that have no clue what they're doing, even in Hamilton Co.

[silverback1065]

That's good to hear. They certainly do help traffic if used correctly. The particular one I'm talking about is at the Greenwood Park Mall and I witnessed these events a year or two ago. I haven't been on that side of town much lately.

I saw the same thing several times when the roundabouts first went in in Noblesville at the Lowes & Walmart entrances off 37.  There are always a few that have no clue what they're doing, even in Hamilton Co.

I don't get it, I know they are different and new, but it isn't that hard to figure out! they are all clearly marked, follow your arrow!

[monty]

http://wishtv.com/2014/11/18/roundabouts-suggested-to-curb-congestion-on-sr37/
HAMILTON COUNTY (WISH) — Local leaders say a six mile stretch of road between Noblesville and Fishers could be easier to travel with roundabouts.

A proposal to improve that roadway for drivers would be by installing roundabouts and it is something currently being discussed.

A Hamilton County commissioner 24-Hour News 8 spoke with on Tuesday night said that something has to be done in order to reduce traffic congestion on State Road 37.

Christine Altman said the problem is not just heavy traffic volume on 37, it's the fact that the traffic going east-west at several intersections doesn't get to cross 37 as efficiently as it should either.

Altman says there are three ways to address the problem, they could do nothing, Hamilton County could find the funding and have control of the design of roundabouts or they could leave it in the hands of INDOT to make improvements.

"We have intersections that are operating at C to D level, the study Purdue said within five years we would have failing intersections if we do nothing,"  said Altman.

This project would be a joint effort between the county, Noblesville, Fishers and INDOT. It is expected to cost about $243 million.

There are nine intersections along state road 37 that would be fixed by this project, but this is still years away.

Altman said work wouldn't begin until 2019.

[silverback1065]

I like the idea, I just wish it were still SR 37 after it's done. They should go further north than SR 38/32 though

[Henry]

I like the idea, I just wish it were still SR 37 after it's done. They should go further north than SR 38/32 though

It's not like the designation will suddenly go away. Plus, I like the idea of making roundabouts for congested intersections; they seem to reduce this problem that traffic lights can create, if done right.

[billtm]

I like the idea, I just wish it were still SR 37 after it's done. They should go further north than SR 38/32 though

It's not like the designation will suddenly go away. Plus, I like the idea of making roundabouts for congested intersections; they seem to reduce this problem that traffic lights can create, if done right.

If this project will be handled like the Keystone Pkwy. project then the designation will probably go away after the project is done. But who knows, maybe INDOT will feel like maintaining major arterials within cities again.

[tdindy88]

Unlikely.  I'm in Franklin right now and saw that SR 44 has been decommissioned through town. Add 44 onto the growing list of broken-upped highways.

[NWI_Irish96]

Unlikely.  I'm in Franklin right now and saw that SR 44 has been decommissioned through town. Add 44 onto the growing list of broken-upped highways.

Do the exit signs on I-65 still say 44?

[silverback1065]

Unlikely.  I'm in Franklin right now and saw that SR 44 has been decommissioned through town. Add 44 onto the growing list of broken-upped highways.

This must have just happened, there's now a gap from SR 144 to I-65. I'm not sure if that means SR 144 at US 31 or further west where they split off.  Here's what I could find: http://www.franklin.in.gov/egov/documents/13848079381820.pdf

They should have gotten rid of SR 144 too between there and SR 135.  I wonder which highway will be next to get the swiss cheese treatment.

[silverback1065]

well according to wikipedia, it is from where 144 and 44 split to 65 where the gap is.  I wish they would at least make an effort to make the routes make sense, constant stopping and starting is confusing.  They should really let cities continue to sign routes throughout their city limits. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_44

[US 41]

Unlikely.  I'm in Franklin right now and saw that SR 44 has been decommissioned through town. Add 44 onto the growing list of broken-upped highways.

This must have just happened, there's now a gap from SR 144 to I-65. I'm not sure if that means SR 144 at US 31 or further west where they split off.  Here's what I could find: http://www.franklin.in.gov/egov/documents/13848079381820.pdf

They should have gotten rid of SR 144 too between there and SR 135.  I wonder which highway will be next to get the swiss cheese treatment.

I wouldn't be surprised if they tries to decommission SR 263.

[billtm]

Sagamore Parkway Bridge project to hold public hearing
http://wlfi.com/2014/11/19/sagamore-parkway-bridge-project-to-hold-public-hearing/
According to the article the new bridge is supposed to be only 2 lanes wide! I hope this is a case of bad reporting... Perhaps they are only replacing one of the spans? But I do like the idea of adding a bike trail on the side
P.S. Sorry I posted this after the public hearing was over, but I didn't hear about it on the news until just today.

[silverback1065]

Sagamore Parkway Bridge project to hold public hearing
http://wlfi.com/2014/11/19/sagamore-parkway-bridge-project-to-hold-public-hearing/
According to the article the new bridge is supposed to be only 2 lanes wide! I hope this is a case of bad reporting... Perhaps they are only replacing one of the spans? But I do like the idea of adding a bike trail on the side
P.S. Sorry I posted this after the public hearing was over, but I didn't hear about it on the news until just today.

I believe it is just one bridge, I know one of the bridges is really old, i think the 30s or something like that.  The other span is much newer.  In other news US 31 in Carmel is set to open next week!  The news report said that "only 2 lanes will be open in each direction" I thought this road was only going to be 2 lanes in each direction, is it supposed to be 3? I hope the speed limit will be 60 but I highly doubt it will be.

[bmeiser]

State Road 37 overhaul plan has business owners on alert

http://www.ibj.com/blogs/11-north-of-96th/post/50533-state-road-37-overhaul-plan-has-business-owners-on-alert

[tdindy88]

I believe it is just one bridge, I know one of the bridges is really old, i think the 30s or something like that.  The other span is much newer.  In other news US 31 in Carmel is set to open next week!  The news report said that "only 2 lanes will be open in each direction" I thought this road was only going to be 2 lanes in each direction, is it supposed to be 3? I hope the speed limit will be 60 but I highly doubt it will be.

Probably since the stretch of US 31 from I-465 to 116th Street is only four lanes they'll have the new freeway segment be the same width for continuity sake. I've ran into heavy traffic along I-71 in the middle of Ohio because they had a construction zone on two separate four-lane sections of highway with one short six-lane segment in the middle. It wouldn't make sense at rush hour to open up a lane just to close it a few miles down.

[bmeiser]

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/INSTATE/bulletins/e23778

INDIANAPOLIS — Contractors for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) plan to paint lane markings this week on I-465 in order to open new traffic lanes and a new flyover ramp at the south side Interstate 65 interchange.  Weather permitting, all remaining improvements from the south side Operation Indy Commute interchange project are expected to be open before the end of next week.

They screwed up earlier this week and kept the closures in place well into the morning rush because the striping wasn't dry yet.  Caused MASSIVE traffic issues.

Otherwise, I'm excited that the next time I go to the south side, I'll be able to use the new flyover ramp!  Now if they can just replace the left entrance ramps, this would be a nice interchange.

[tdindy88]

Speaking of the south side project at I-65 and I-465, the two lane flyover connecting westbound 465 with southbound 65 is now open. They're still working on getting the lanes in their final configuration along 465 but surely by the end of this weekend most of the work should be done. The ramp from northbound 65 to eastbound 465 is now two lanes as well with auxiliary lanes between the new exit ramps and the Emerson Avenue exit and along 65 south to Southport. The former loop ramp from WB 465 to SB 65 is now closed and presumably will be torn up in the future.

Also of note in terms of signage, what I believe is Indiana's first one-arrow-per-lane sign is up along I-65 north approaching the 465 interchange. There are three up arrows for I-65 north thru traffic and a curved arrow for the ramp to I-465 west (now signed with Peoria for I-74.) The two-lane ramp for the ramp to I-465 east (now signed with Cincinnati for I-74) is on a separate sign. Usually I think these signs go the width of the highway, so it's interesting to see that there weren't two more curved arrows for those two far right lanes, right at the gore point for the 465 ramps. If I ever get the ability to take some pictures of the sign I'll post them. 

[jhuntin1]

Also of note in terms of signage, what I believe is Indiana's first one-arrow-per-lane sign is up along I-65 north approaching the 465 interchange. There are three up arrows for I-65 north thru traffic and a curved arrow for the ramp to I-465 west (now signed with Peoria for I-74.) The two-lane ramp for the ramp to I-465 east (now signed with Cincinnati for I-74) is on a separate sign. Usually I think these signs go the width of the highway, so it's interesting to see that there weren't two more curved arrows for those two far right lanes, right at the gore point for the 465 ramps. If I ever get the ability to take some pictures of the sign I'll post them.

I think the first one-arrow-per-lane ramp is on I-465 south at I-70 on the east side. It's been there for at least a year. Here's the Google Map view:

Also, any new exit signage that INDOT has put up for I-465 & 74 has references to Peoria and Cincinnati as control cities. I-70 has them in both directions for the I-465 exit, as does I-65 now. I don't know if it's an MUTCD requirement or not, but it's only been in the last several years that they've done it.

[tdindy88]

I was talking more about signs like in this thread.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=8965.0

The "One-Arrow-Per-Lane" sign as I've seen it here is a newer type of sign with an up arrow in each lane instead of a down arrow. Those signs you showed have been there since that interchange was rebuilt more than a decade ago, probably before the first of these kind of signs were up.

[jhuntin1]

As far as that type of sign goes, I believe you're right (at least in the Indianapolis area). I noticed it a week ago and said to myself that it looked like INDOT was trying something new.

[NWI_Irish96]

Speaking of the south side project at I-65 and I-465, the two lane flyover connecting westbound 465 with southbound 65 is now open. They're still working on getting the lanes in their final configuration along 465 but surely by the end of this weekend most of the work should be done. The ramp from northbound 65 to eastbound 465 is now two lanes as well with auxiliary lanes between the new exit ramps and the Emerson Avenue exit and along 65 south to Southport. The former loop ramp from WB 465 to SB 65 is now closed and presumably will be torn up in the future.

Also of note in terms of signage, what I believe is Indiana's first one-arrow-per-lane sign is up along I-65 north approaching the 465 interchange. There are three up arrows for I-65 north thru traffic and a curved arrow for the ramp to I-465 west (now signed with Peoria for I-74.) The two-lane ramp for the ramp to I-465 east (now signed with Cincinnati for I-74) is on a separate sign. Usually I think these signs go the width of the highway, so it's interesting to see that there weren't two more curved arrows for those two far right lanes, right at the gore point for the 465 ramps. If I ever get the ability to take some pictures of the sign I'll post them. 

I saw those this weekend.  I use that interchange a couple times a month so I'm glad for that work to be over with.

[silverback1065]

SR 38 is no longer cosigned with US 421 and sr 39 in Frankfort it now has a gap in it. It ends north of the city and picks up again just south of the city.
Very confusing at first as I was going to use 38 to get to Lafayette from there.