Indiana Notes

[silverback1065]

they may have changed the standards on work zone speed limits.  it's in the indot design manual somewhere. 

[tdindy88]

Intersection overhaul planned for US 20, Ind. 2

Article: http://www.heraldargus.com/news/intersection-overhaul-planned-for-us-ind/article_b3740a66-678a-5a9d-9e44-a7c3cb4eab0c.html?mode=story

Sorry for being late here but I had one question about this interchange project. If SR 2 and US 20 change alignments at this interchange, as they do the intersection right now, what is the highway designation in between the entrance and exit ramps along the divided highway?

[PurdueBill]

Intersection overhaul planned for US 20, Ind. 2

Article: http://www.heraldargus.com/news/intersection-overhaul-planned-for-us-ind/article_b3740a66-678a-5a9d-9e44-a7c3cb4eab0c.html?mode=story

Sorry for being late here but I had one question about this interchange project. If SR 2 and US 20 change alignments at this interchange, as they do the intersection right now, what is the highway designation in between the entrance and exit ramps along the divided highway?

It would be interesting to know what they legally call the road between the exit and entrance ramps at the split diamond near Logansport at US 24-35/IN 25.  Heading eastbound, 25 exits and 24-35 enters; all three overlap on the ramp between the intersections while no route is technically on the road after the exit but before the entrance ramp merges.  It must be called something or inventoried as something.

[tdindy88]

I wrote the guide for AARoads page on SR 25. I just called that stretch of highway the Hoosier Heartland Highway, since that corridor already had a name. I don't believe the highway from Michigan City to South Bend does though.

[silverback1065]

how'd that smart streets project go in SB?  did they ruin all of the old signage?

[NWI_Irish96]

I wrote the guide for AARoads page on SR 25. I just called that stretch of highway the Hoosier Heartland Highway, since that corridor already had a name. I don't believe the highway from Michigan City to South Bend does though.

US 20 is the Michigan Road, though it's rarely referred to that locally.

[captkirk_4]

Intersection overhaul planned for US 20, Ind. 2

Article: http://www.heraldargus.com/news/intersection-overhaul-planned-for-us-ind/article_b3740a66-678a-5a9d-9e44-a7c3cb4eab0c.html?mode=story

It would be interesting to know what they legally call the road between the exit and entrance ramps at the split diamond near Logansport at US 24-35/IN 25.  Heading eastbound, 25 exits and 24-35 enters; all three overlap on the ramp between the intersections while no route is technically on the road after the exit but before the entrance ramp merges.  It must be called something or inventoried as something.

I don't know what that stretch is, reminds me of some temporary arrangement you see when construction is going on. There is a split off ghost divided highway about another mile east of there that may be where US24 was supposed to have it's interchange, but funding never allowed four laneing west of Logansport. Would be quite an expense, but to four lane it from Logansport to Peoria Illinois would provide a well needed way for trans continental truck traffic to bypass the awful Kingery Borman parking lot on the south end of Lake Michigan. I generally make pretty good time going on US 24 from I-57 to Ft. Wayne. But it does need bypasses of several towns like Watseka IL and Monitcello IN, even keeping it two lane would still greatly benefit from these towns getting bypassed as they really slow you down.

[silverback1065]

does indot do secret route numbers?  also, is that stub Montecello Road one of them?

[NWI_Irish96]

does indot do secret route numbers?  also, is that stub Montecello Road one of them?

The only unsigned route I'm aware of is IN 931 in St. Joseph County.

[nwi_navigator_1181]

INDOT has (all but) officially announced the litany of road work projects affecting the Northwest Indiana area, and there are a LOT of them.

As I mentioned before, the first 25 miles of I-65 will see road work in some form (Paving work from the US 12/20 terminus to just north of the Borman Expressway interchange, concrete restoration from just south of that point to 61st Avenue, widening from just south of US 30 to Indiana 2, and replacement of the Kankakee River bridges). There will also be bridge work just south of the Indiana 10 interchange. Those traveling long range may want to add extra time to their travel, or (coming from Michigan) consider using US 421 or (coming from Chicago) US 41.

A large chunk of I-94 will see work this year, with concrete restoration planned for the stretch from Kennedy Avenue to just west of I-65, as well as the stretch from US 421 to US 20/35. HMA overlay work is planned for the stretch of the Borman from east of Central Avenue to the Indiana Toll Road exit, and from just east of Indiana 249 to just east of Indiana 49. Two bridges are also slated for repair, including the bridge over the Indiana Toll Road (which will overlap with the road work already in progress on the Toll Road itself), and the bridge just east of the Indiana 49 interchange. Finally, interchange modification will be performed on the ramp connecting Eastbound I-94 to East/Southbound US 20/35.

In more local roads, the entirety of Broadway will be worked on from Gary to Crown Point, with repaving, installation of bus shelters between 6th Avenue and 86th Place, crosswalk improvements near the IU Northwest Campus, and complete removal of the IHB railroad bridge near Downtown Gary.

US 30 will see resurfacing work from US 41 to Indiana 55 (Taft Street) in Lake County, and from Indiana 49 to the Porter-LaPorte County Line. The infamous Mississippi Street intersection near Southlake Mall will also see work, but details are not yet made known. US 20, Indiana 51, Calumet Avenue, Indiana 2, Indiana 39, and Indiana 49 (from the Toll Road to US 30) will all be seeing resurfacing work done as well.

Told you there will be a lot.

[spell4yr]

Thoughts on this construction work:

-- I wish that the paving of I-65 between I-80/94 and US 12/20 had been timed with the interchange construction a few years ago, as (if I recall correctly) part of that stretch was closed anyway.
-- I live right off of US 41 in Highland, and I dread the increased traffic from long-haul drivers, considering how crazy the local traffic already is.
-- Good to hear about I-94 east of US 421, as that stretch is not fun to drive.
-- It's great the state will be working on US 30/Mississippi, but it's more important that Lake County or the Town of Merrillville, whoever was in charge of the Mississippi/mall entrance reconstruction, re-stripes that light. Southbound went from two lanes like this: < | <^> to a standard < | ^ | ^ | > format, and the left-turn lane is nowhere near adequate to handle mall traffic, nor is the cycle long enough. It spilled over onto US 30 and other parts of Mississippi over the holiday. It needs to be fixed immediately.

[theline]

The only unsigned route I'm aware of is IN 931 in St. Joseph County.

What is unsigned? When I drove it, it was signed between the Marshall/St. Joseph county line and the south city limit of South Bend. That's the part still in INDOT control.

[silverback1065]

The only unsigned route I'm aware of is IN 931 in St. Joseph County.

What is unsigned? When I drove it, it was signed between the Marshall/St. Joseph county line and the south city limit of South Bend. That's the part still in INDOT control.

i thought they finally turned that over last yr

[JREwing78]

A large chunk of I-94 will see work this year, with concrete restoration planned for the stretch from Kennedy Avenue to just west of I-65, as well as the stretch from US 421 to US 20/35. HMA overlay work is planned for the stretch of the Borman from east of Central Avenue to the Indiana Toll Road exit, and from just east of Indiana 249 to just east of Indiana 49. Two bridges are also slated for repair, including the bridge over the Indiana Toll Road (which will overlap with the road work already in progress on the Toll Road itself), and the bridge just east of the Indiana 49 interchange. Finally, interchange modification will be performed on the ramp connecting Eastbound I-94 to East/Southbound US 20/35.

I'm going to be thankful that I rarely have to travel through there during peak times. There's not a way across the bottom of Lake Michigan that isn't going to be under construction and/or absurdly slow.

[NWI_Irish96]

The only unsigned route I'm aware of is IN 931 in St. Joseph County.

What is unsigned? When I drove it, it was signed between the Marshall/St. Joseph county line and the south city limit of South Bend. That's the part still in INDOT control.

OK, then apparently they've signed it.  It WAS unsigned for a while.

[captkirk_4]

Thoughts on this construction work:

-- I wish that the paving of I-65 between I-80/94 and US 12/20 had been timed with the interchange construction a few years ago, as (if I recall correctly) part of that stretch was closed anyway.
-- I live right off of US 41 in Highland, and I dread the increased traffic from long-haul drivers, considering how crazy the local traffic already is.
-- Good to hear about I-94 east of US 421, as that stretch is not fun to drive.

Drove the backroads from Kankakee-Momence-Roselawn and definitely noticed a massive amount of semi-trucks along the very minor state routes Illinois 114 Indiana 10. Seems that if they don't build some sort of southern bypass the truckers will make their own spilling onto the backroads.

[Revive 755]

Drove the backroads from Kankakee-Momence-Roselawn and definitely noticed a massive amount of semi-trucks along the very minor state routes Illinois 114 Indiana 10. Seems that if they don't build some sort of southern bypass the truckers will make their own spilling onto the backroads.

IDOT and INDOT did look into building the Illiana as a bypass.

[silverback1065]

931 is signed and you can see it on street view now. It starts at the St Joseph county line and ends at the South bend city limits. It's like an island it only crossed SR 4 and that's it. I think indot is trying their best to get rid of it. Kokomos portion is likely to be around for a very long time likely for good.

[amroad17]

Thoughts on this construction work:

-- I wish that the paving of I-65 between I-80/94 and US 12/20 had been timed with the interchange construction a few years ago, as (if I recall correctly) part of that stretch was closed anyway.
-- I live right off of US 41 in Highland, and I dread the increased traffic from long-haul drivers, considering how crazy the local traffic already is.
-- Good to hear about I-94 east of US 421, as that stretch is not fun to drive.

Drove the backroads from Kankakee-Momence-Roselawn and definitely noticed a massive amount of semi-trucks along the very minor state routes Illinois 114 Indiana 10. Seems that if they don't build some sort of southern bypass the truckers will make their own spilling onto the backroads.

I would take that route sometimes when I drove for an expediting company just so I could avoid the Borman/Kingery Expressways and did not need to get into central Chicago.  I also would take IL 17 east out of Kankakee to IN 2, US 41 south, to IN 10 to I-65 again to avoid the Borman/Kingery.  Many truckers do both of these routes.  Beats sitting in a massive amount of traffic.

It would be nice if there was a southern bypass of Chicago.  Even an expressway (similar to Corridor H) from I-65 near IN 10 to Kankakee or even curving up to Peotone would help immensely (I know, this is approximately the routing of the moribund Illiana Corridor).

[theline]

931 is signed and you can see it on street view now. It starts at the St Joseph county line and ends at the South bend city limits. It's like an island it only crossed SR 4 and that's it. I think indot is trying their best to get rid of it. Kokomos portion is likely to be around for a very long time likely for good.

And it is still signed, as of my last trip along the route last month.

[2trailertrucker]

Thoughts on this construction work:

-- I wish that the paving of I-65 between I-80/94 and US 12/20 had been timed with the interchange construction a few years ago, as (if I recall correctly) part of that stretch was closed anyway.
-- I live right off of US 41 in Highland, and I dread the increased traffic from long-haul drivers, considering how crazy the local traffic already is.
-- Good to hear about I-94 east of US 421, as that stretch is not fun to drive.

Drove the backroads from Kankakee-Momence-Roselawn and definitely noticed a massive amount of semi-trucks along the very minor state routes Illinois 114 Indiana 10. Seems that if they don't build some sort of southern bypass the truckers will make their own spilling onto the backroads.

I would take that route sometimes when I drove for an expediting company just so I could avoid the Borman/Kingery Expressways and did not need to get into central Chicago.  I also would take IL 17 east out of Kankakee to IN 2, US 41 south, to IN 10 to I-65 again to avoid the Borman/Kingery.  Many truckers do both of these routes.  Beats sitting in a massive amount of traffic.

It would be nice if there was a southern bypass of Chicago.  Even an expressway (similar to Corridor H) from I-65 near IN 10 to Kankakee or even curving up to Peotone would help immensely (I know, this is approximately the routing of the moribund Illiana Corridor).

Truckers have been taking this route for years. When the Borman was closed a few years ago, it was very busy. Those against the Iliana have never taken the backseat !

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Thoughts on this construction work:

-- I wish that the paving of I-65 between I-80/94 and US 12/20 had been timed with the interchange construction a few years ago, as (if I recall correctly) part of that stretch was closed anyway.

The road was still serviceable in 2008 (when that stretch was closed for the reconstruction of the Borman Interchange). They would have probably had to redo that section anyway, since the winter of 2013-2014 put a beating on the area's highways, with that section of I-65 and I-94 between the Toll Road and Michigan getting it the worst.

I do agree that it should have been done sooner, but with other roads with considerably longer stretches needing the TLC first, I could see why they waited until now to put it in the forefront.

Regarding the Chicago Bypass, I had a thought...would it be considerably difficult to use the existing network of roads and widen them into divided highways where needed (using I-57, Illinois 17, Indiana 2, US 41, and Indiana 10) as a measure to alleviate traffic and divert southbound traffic away from the city?

[silverback1065]

I hope this doesn't mean 32 will be decommissioned. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2017/03/17/westfield-eyes-ind-32-expansion-downtown/99299326/

[cjw2001]

Considering they want the state to pay for the improvements, I'd say no.

[silverback1065]

I think it's a bad idea, you want traffic to slow down in your downtown, not speed up.