Indiana Notes

[tdindy88]

on a different note, was SR 3 rerouted onto SR 750 to meet SR 7 in North Vernon? 

There's no reason to really. SR 3 meets SR 7 a short distance south of SR 750, I can't see why getting rid of that would do anything.

[silverback1065]

on a different note, was SR 3 rerouted onto SR 750 to meet SR 7 in North Vernon? 

There's no reason to really. SR 3 meets SR 7 a short distance south of SR 750, I can't see why getting rid of that would do anything.

I was just curious, I saw the new street view footage and some of the signage made it look like it was true.

[NWI_Irish96]

How many miles of I-65 are left to be widened to 3 lanes? The above article mentioned some other sections being constructed right now, so I was curious to see how much work they have left throughout the state. Thanks in advance

not sure of the mileage, but the gaps are between (going south) SR 2 to SR 25, SR 38 to SR 32, SR 44 and Memphis Rd.  I think the SR 44 to Memphis Rd is the largest gap, but that's off the top of my head. 

Yes, SR 44 to Memphis Rd is by far the largest gap, and I'll also point out that the Memphis to Sellersburg section is still in the very early stages.  Will be a while until that part is done.

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Re: I-65...

I just realized that widening I-65 to Indiana 2 would open the way for building a continuous six-lane highway from I-80/94 to Indiana 14. When the Kankakee River bridges get rebuilt, all the bridges south to Indiana 14 will have been rebuilt to support a third lane. That would leave crews to fill in the gaps with minimal bridge work, allowing more miles of widening to be done during construction seasons.

That would definitely shorten the gap between the work set to be done and Lafayette.

[bmeiser]

Re: I-65...

I just realized that widening I-65 to Indiana 2 would open the way for building a continuous six-lane highway from I-80/94 to Indiana 14. When the Kankakee River bridges get rebuilt, all the bridges south to Indiana 14 will have been rebuilt to support a third lane. That would leave crews to fill in the gaps with minimal bridge work, allowing more miles of widening to be done during construction seasons.

That would definitely shorten the gap between the work set to be done and Lafayette.

They might as well go ahead and widen down to IN-10 with this project if they're going to replace that bridge.

[silverback1065]

more headaches on 65.

http://www.wthr.com/story/30767964/large-hole-in-i-65-bridge-causes-backups-in-tippecanoe-county

[cjw2001]

Carmel Indiana just announced a $217 million plan to add over 30 roundabouts and other infrastructure improvements over the next 3 years.  This includes the long awaited Keystone Parkway and 96th Street project.

ROADWORK, ROUNDABOUTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS PROPOSED FOR CITY OF CARMEL AMBITIOUS PLAN WOULD INVEST $217 MILLION OVER 3 YEARS


Carmel on road to $217M in infrastructure projects

[Lyon Wonder]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_931 INDOT's going to put US 31 on I-65 between the KY state line and I-465 in Indianapolis and renumber the parallel US 31 as IN-931 (which is also applied to former US 31 in Kokomo) and sounds similar to I-39 and IL-251 in Illinois.  If true, I guess this may or may not be a prelude to INDOT decommissioning some or all of the surface route that parallels I-65.

The only other US highways in IN that closely parallel non-toll interstates are US 40 close to I-70, US 52 close to I-65 from Lafayette to Lebanon and US 136 close to I-74 from the IL state line to Indianapolis.

[rawmustard]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_931 INDOT's going to put US 31 on I-65 between the KY state line and I-465 in Indianapolis and renumber the parallel US 31 as IN-931 (which is also applied to former US 31 in Kokomo) and sounds similar to I-39 and IL-251 in Illinois.  If true, I guess this may or may not be a prelude to INDOT decommissioning some or all of the surface route that parallels I-65.

There's no citation to that section. If some other source had reported it, I'm sure it would be well known by now.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

A truck attempted to drive across the one-lane 1880 Paoli Bridge today, and destroyed it.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/30830559/truck-wedges-itself-in-paoli-bridge-causing-it-to-collapse

[Pete from Boston]

A truck attempted to drive across the one-lane 1880 Paoli Bridge today, and destroyed it.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/30830559/truck-wedges-itself-in-paoli-bridge-causing-it-to-collapse

Let's call it what it is–a person with terrible judgement attempted to drive across the bridge in a truck.

I hope that $135 fine turns into a liability claim for the cost to rebuild.

[tdindy88]

Very sad to see, and there's a state highway one block to the west of this street. At least I got to see it and take a picture of it before its demise.

[US 41]

he

A truck attempted to drive across the one-lane 1880 Paoli Bridge today, and destroyed it.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/30830559/truck-wedges-itself-in-paoli-bridge-causing-it-to-collapse

Let's call it what it is–a person with terrible judgement attempted to drive across the bridge in a truck.

I hope that $135 fine turns into a liability claim for the cost to rebuild.

The signs says the weight limit is 6 tons. This moron's truck weighed 35 tons. Based off the pictures it looks like the truck was too tall for the bridge. Looking at GSV I have to wonder if this guy has a brain at all. Like really who would even attempt to drive a semi truck and trailer on that bridge.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5548297,-86.4684462,3a,66.8y,187.22h,86.66t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sSWYUkz-hb0gTZDRgup5oUA!2e0

[silverback1065]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_931 INDOT's going to put US 31 on I-65 between the KY state line and I-465 in Indianapolis and renumber the parallel US 31 as IN-931 (which is also applied to former US 31 in Kokomo) and sounds similar to I-39 and IL-251 in Illinois.  If true, I guess this may or may not be a prelude to INDOT decommissioning some or all of the surface route that parallels I-65.

The only other US highways in IN that closely parallel non-toll interstates are US 40 close to I-70, US 52 close to I-65 from Lafayette to Lebanon and US 136 close to I-74 from the IL state line to Indianapolis.

I don't believe this, there's no proof, someone could have just typed that talking out of their ass.  Also, the truck driver is clearly a dumbass.  I love how the bridge says, no trucks clearly in front of it, and the truck empty would way more than the limit!

[US 41]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_931 INDOT's going to put US 31 on I-65 between the KY state line and I-465 in Indianapolis and renumber the parallel US 31 as IN-931 (which is also applied to former US 31 in Kokomo) and sounds similar to I-39 and IL-251 in Illinois.  If true, I guess this may or may not be a prelude to INDOT decommissioning some or all of the surface route that parallels I-65.

The only other US highways in IN that closely parallel non-toll interstates are US 40 close to I-70, US 52 close to I-65 from Lafayette to Lebanon and US 136 close to I-74 from the IL state line to Indianapolis.

I don't believe this, there's no proof, someone could have just typed that talking out of their ass.  Also, the truck driver is clearly a dumbass.  I love how the bridge says, no trucks clearly in front of it, and the truck empty would way more than the limit!

Wikipedia is usually pretty reliable, but there are some things on there that are just stupid and wrong. Someone not too long ago also said that SR 641 in Terre Haute was going to be renamed I-170 once complete, which is not true at all. I don't believe for one second that US 31 will be rerouted onto I-65 just to be renamed SR 931, especially with talks of maybe tolling the rural sections of I-65 across the state.

[silverback1065]

if anything, they should rid themselves of US 136, but it still serves a good alternate.

[NWI_Irish96]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_931 INDOT's going to put US 31 on I-65 between the KY state line and I-465 in Indianapolis and renumber the parallel US 31 as IN-931 (which is also applied to former US 31 in Kokomo)

Unless the person who put that on Wikipedia has an inside connection at INDOT, there is no credibility to that.  Any plan of that sort would have received extensive media coverage all over Southern Indiana, and there has been none.

Also, re-routing a US highway requires AASHTO approval.  Additionally, it doesn't even make sense.

I posted this on INDOT Southeast's FB page.  I'll let you know what they say about it.

[silverback1065]

us 31 is a very major highway from 465 to the crossing with 65 in Columbus, after that, it's just a useful local road.

[Lyon Wonder]

us 31 is a very major highway from 465 to the crossing with 65 in Columbus, after that, it's just a useful local road.

IMO, US 31 south of Columbus from IN-46 to Clarksville can become a southern extension of IN-9, though that's a discussion best mentioned in the fictional forum.

[mukade]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_931 INDOT's going to put US 31 on I-65 between the KY state line and I-465 in Indianapolis and renumber the parallel US 31 as IN-931 (which is also applied to former US 31 in Kokomo)

Unless the person who put that on Wikipedia has an inside connection at INDOT, there is no credibility to that.  Any plan of that sort would have received extensive media coverage all over Southern Indiana, and there has been none.

Also, re-routing a US highway requires AASHTO approval.  Additionally, it doesn't even make sense.

I posted this on INDOT Southeast's FB page.  I'll let you know what they say about it.

Although the possible re-routing of US 31 is news to me, it would make sense from two perspectives:
- Quite a few miles of the current US 31 route would be the type of highway INDOT would like to turn back to local jurisdictions. As a US highway route, that cannot be done.
- US 31 is a major route from Indy north to Ludington Michigan. Why not make all of US 31 in Indiana a divided highway by moving the route to I-65?

Personally, it makes no sense to me to keep these slow and narrow historic routings that make no sense today. Who would prefer to take US 31 from Louisville to Indy? Or US 136 from Danville, Illinois to Indy? US 31 really should be routed with I-65, IMO.

us 31 is a very major highway from 465 to the crossing with 65 in Columbus, after that, it's just a useful local road.

It is definitely a major road, but it is not a major intercity route. I would say from the Edinburgh outlet mall or Franklin up to I-465, US 31 is the type of road INDOT would like to rid itself of.

[silverback1065]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_State_Road_931 INDOT's going to put US 31 on I-65 between the KY state line and I-465 in Indianapolis and renumber the parallel US 31 as IN-931 (which is also applied to former US 31 in Kokomo)

Unless the person who put that on Wikipedia has an inside connection at INDOT, there is no credibility to that.  Any plan of that sort would have received extensive media coverage all over Southern Indiana, and there has been none.

Also, re-routing a US highway requires AASHTO approval.  Additionally, it doesn't even make sense.

I posted this on INDOT Southeast's FB page.  I'll let you know what they say about it.

Although the possible re-routing of US 31 is news to me, it would make sense from two perspectives:
- Quite a few miles of the current US 31 route would be the type of highway INDOT would like to turn back to local jurisdictions. As a US highway route, that cannot be done.
- US 31 is a major route from Indy north to Ludington Michigan. Why not make all of US 31 in Indiana a divided highway by moving the route to I-65?

Personally, it makes no sense to me to keep these slow and narrow historic routings that make no sense today. Who would prefer to take US 31 from Louisville to Indy? Or US 136 from Danville, Illinois to Indy? US 31 really should be routed with I-65, IMO.

us 31 is a very major highway from 465 to the crossing with 65 in Columbus, after that, it's just a useful local road.

It is definitely a major road, but it is not a major intercity route. I would say from the Edinburgh outlet mall or Franklin up to I-465, US 31 is the type of road INDOT would like to rid itself of.

I think you're right, but it would be sad to see 31 go if that's true, I feel like all the parallel highways to interstates need to be maintained.  They do still serve a purpose as an alternate, as we've seen with us 52.  I hope this isn't true, anyone with INDOT connections on here that could confirm if it IS true? Now I'm curious. 

[thefro]

US 31 is at least four lanes from Indianapolis all the way through Columbus and gets a good amount of traffic.

South of Columbus it's important to a lot of small towns along the route like Reddington, Crothersville, Uniontown, Austin, Scottsburg, and Memphis.  Obviously once you get to Sellersburg you get into the Louisville suburbs.

[NWI_Irish96]

INDOT doesn't just force roads back to local control.  It's generally negotiated with the cities/counties involved and usually involves a lump sum payment from INDOT to the jurisdiction to cover the added costs of maintaining the road. 

I don't see Johnson or Bartholomew counties, or any of the cities within, being interested in taking control of the road.  I could see a switch happening for some or all of the part south of US 50. 

Still no response to my FB post on the INDOT-SE page asking for verification.

[silverback1065]

it's certainly an interesting drive from Columbus back to 465, it still gives off the vibe of the old ways people traveled between big cities before the interstate system. 

[US 41]

Rerouting US 31 onto I-65 or any other parallel US highway for that matter is the stupidest idea I have ever heard of. Why would anyone think rerouting US 31 onto I-65 is a good idea? If that's a good idea maybe we should just get rid of US highways altogether or just decommission US 31 from Indy to Mobile.