Indiana Notes

[monty]

I think the transition (SR 28 near Tipton) isn't to happen until later this year. Maybe fall.

[Great Lakes Roads]

The widening project on I-65 in Tippecanoe County (from the Wabash River Bridge to nearly 2.5 miles north of SR 43 interchange (MP 180ish)) will get underway starting on/after April 1. The project cost is $99.4 million, and Walsh Construction is doing the contract. The project includes widening the Ninth Street, Prophets Rock, and the SR 43 bridges toward the middle as well as a new traffic signal at the I-65 south ramps at SR 43. Also, SR 43 will be resurfaced within the interchange area. The expected completion date is by November 30, 2023.

[Great Lakes Roads]

It's that time of year again when we see some orange barrels on the roads!

Here are some projects that will be underway soon in NW Indiana:

1. Bridge replacement on I-94 east of Johnson Road. Two 11-foot lanes with two-foot shoulders will remain open in both directions. Starts on March 14th.
2. Bridge replacement on US 20/31 at South Michigan Street. One lane each way on the WB bridge while the EB bridge gets replaced. Starts on March 14th and the whole project is expected to be completed by early December.

Here are some more major projects that will be underway this year in NW Indiana:
1. I-65 bridge deck overlays and concrete restoration between U.S. 30 and I-80/94
2. I-80/94 concrete restoration between Illinois State Line and S.R. 912
3. US 30 resurfacing between S.R. 17 and S.R. 19
4. New roundabout at U.S. 6 and S.R. 2 in Westville. Will be replacing a 4-way stop. Two-phase construction schedule in which phase 1 will close the north and west legs of the intersection. The detour for the first phase will be as followed: US 421, US 6, SR 2, SR 49, and vice versa. Phase 2 will close the south and east legs of the intersection. The detour for the second phase will be as followed: US 421, SR 2, US 6, SR 49, and vice versa.

[JoePCool14]

2. I-80/94 concrete restoration between Illinois State Line and S.R. 912

Oh joy, can't wait for the Borman to suck even more than usual.

[Revive 755]

2. I-80/94 concrete restoration between Illinois State Line and S.R. 912

Oh joy, can't wait for the Borman to suck even more than usual.

Seems it is becoming usual for some sort of construction on the Borman every year.  I thought INDOT just did a lot of work on the Borman west of I-65?

[NWI_Irish96]

2. I-80/94 concrete restoration between Illinois State Line and S.R. 912

Oh joy, can't wait for the Borman to suck even more than usual.

Seems it is becoming usual for some sort of construction on the Borman every year.  I thought INDOT just did a lot of work on the Borman west of I-65?

Last summer they did work on a lot of the bridges.

[tdindy88]

Read this morning about a potential idea of decommissioning more Indiana state highways, this time in Johnson County.

https://dailyjournal.net/2022/03/29/county-considers-indot-agreement-for-smith-valley-road-project/

The idea would decommission SR 44 from the Morgan County line east to the junction with SR 144 west of Franklin (with the part from there east to I-65 already decommissioned several years back.) Also, the remaining part of SR 144 in Johnson County from SR 135 in Bargersville to Franklin would be relinquished. And finally SR 252 from SR 135 in Trafalgar to US 31 in Edinburgh would be relinquished.

All of this would help fund the widening of Smith Valley Road from the interchange with I-69 east to Morgantown Road, which isn't that long of a stretch of road. If they were to do this I'd might want Smith Valley to be widened all the way to SR 135 at least. The SR 144 and 252 decommissioning I could live with, but that SR 44 one might be weird starting right at the county line. It would make the already ridiculous gap in the way seem more strange, might as well get rid of the rest of the road west to I-69.

But none of this is agreed upon yet, it's just an idea that INDOT is floating around with Johnson County.

[Life in Paradise]

Read this morning about a potential idea of decommissioning more Indiana state highways, this time in Johnson County.

https://dailyjournal.net/2022/03/29/county-considers-indot-agreement-for-smith-valley-road-project/

The idea would decommission SR 44 from the Morgan County line east to the junction with SR 144 west of Franklin (with the part from there east to I-65 already decommissioned several years back.) Also, the remaining part of SR 144 in Johnson County from SR 135 in Bargersville to Franklin would be relinquished. And finally SR 252 from SR 135 in Trafalgar to US 31 in Edinburgh would be relinquished.

All of this would help fund the widening of Smith Valley Road from the interchange with I-69 east to Morgantown Road, which isn't that long of a stretch of road. If they were to do this I'd might want Smith Valley to be widened all the way to SR 135 at least. The SR 144 and 252 decommissioning I could live with, but that SR 44 one might be weird starting right at the county line. It would make the already ridiculous gap in the way seem more strange, might as well get rid of the rest of the road west to I-69.

But none of this is agreed upon yet, it's just an idea that INDOT is floating around with Johnson Count.

I'm really against a lot of these relinquishments since they get rid of a route.  I know that there is one reason or another for some of these (trade off with INDOT for some other work) or so weight/truck limits can be imposed.  I really wish that we could have a compromise where the route would still be marked, but it could be marked as a county route with the same number.  Down here in Warrick County, we have a former state highway that has not been state maintained for as long as I've lived here (30+ years), and it's official name is Old SR 261.  It's not the same thing as having the route sign, but at least it helps newcomers.

[NWI_Irish96]

Good news in Northwest Indiana.

Work on Indiana 2 between Hebron and Valparaiso has completed more than six weeks ahead of schedule. A new roundabout is now in place at County Road 100 South (109th Avenue in Crown Point), and modifications to the intersection with County Road 500 West have been made.

I can't remember where I read it and can't find it now, but I remember someone posting that the SR 2 shields at the new roundabout were errors (circular, perhaps). I drove through there today and the shields at that roundabout looked normal to me. Perhaps they got replaced?

[silverback1065]

Read this morning about a potential idea of decommissioning more Indiana state highways, this time in Johnson County.

https://dailyjournal.net/2022/03/29/county-considers-indot-agreement-for-smith-valley-road-project/

The idea would decommission SR 44 from the Morgan County line east to the junction with SR 144 west of Franklin (with the part from there east to I-65 already decommissioned several years back.) Also, the remaining part of SR 144 in Johnson County from SR 135 in Bargersville to Franklin would be relinquished. And finally SR 252 from SR 135 in Trafalgar to US 31 in Edinburgh would be relinquished.

All of this would help fund the widening of Smith Valley Road from the interchange with I-69 east to Morgantown Road, which isn't that long of a stretch of road. If they were to do this I'd might want Smith Valley to be widened all the way to SR 135 at least. The SR 144 and 252 decommissioning I could live with, but that SR 44 one might be weird starting right at the county line. It would make the already ridiculous gap in the way seem more strange, might as well get rid of the rest of the road west to I-69.

But none of this is agreed upon yet, it's just an idea that INDOT is floating around with Johnson County.

144 should be completely removed. and if they do this just kill that whole portion of 44 from 69 to 144.

[CtrlAltDel]

The widening project on I-65 in Tippecanoe County (from the Wabash River Bridge to nearly 2.5 miles north of SR 43 interchange (MP 180ish)) will get underway starting on/after April 1.

Does that mean that the bridge is finally done?

[Great Lakes Roads]

The widening project on I-65 in Tippecanoe County (from the Wabash River Bridge to nearly 2.5 miles north of SR 43 interchange (MP 180ish)) will get underway starting on/after April 1.

Does that mean that the bridge is finally done?

It was finished sometime last year.

[Revive 755]

I can't remember where I read it and can't find it now, but I remember someone posting that the SR 2 shields at the new roundabout were errors (circular, perhaps). I drove through there today and the shields at that roundabout looked normal to me. Perhaps they got replaced?

I think it was the other new roundabout on SR 2?

From recent travels:  The first roundabout on IN 2 west/south of US 30 near Valparaiso has circular shields.  The roundabout farther west on IN 2 has normal Indiana shields.

EDIT:
And now SR 2 is closed against right after US 30, making it harder to get back to that roundabout 

[NWI_Irish96]

I can't remember where I read it and can't find it now, but I remember someone posting that the SR 2 shields at the new roundabout were errors (circular, perhaps). I drove through there today and the shields at that roundabout looked normal to me. Perhaps they got replaced?

I think it was the other new roundabout on SR 2?

From recent travels:  The first roundabout on IN 2 west/south of US 30 near Valparaiso has circular shields.  The roundabout farther west on IN 2 has normal Indiana shields.

I didn't go through that one. I'll have to go back. I'd love to get a photo of it before it gets fixed.

[I-55]

I can't remember where I read it and can't find it now, but I remember someone posting that the SR 2 shields at the new roundabout were errors (circular, perhaps). I drove through there today and the shields at that roundabout looked normal to me. Perhaps they got replaced?

I think it was the other new roundabout on SR 2?

From recent travels:  The first roundabout on IN 2 west/south of US 30 near Valparaiso has circular shields.  The roundabout farther west on IN 2 has normal Indiana shields.

I didn't go through that one. I'll have to go back. I'd love to get a photo of it before it gets fixed.

Last time I was in Fort Wayne there were still circle shields along Illinois Rd just east of the IN-14 interchange.

[I-55]

Noticed several "ALT I-65 Detour" signs popping up like weeds on IN-25 from US-421 to Lafayette. Anyone know what kind of progression is happening on the widening/bridge projects that led to this?

[NWI_Irish96]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/move-over-roundabouts-a-displaced-left-turn-intersection-is-coming-to-indianapolis

Displaced left turn intersection coming to US 31/Thompson Rd. Anybody have experience with one of these?

[silverback1065]

Nope but Evansville is getting a ton on the Lloyd

[tdindy88]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/move-over-roundabouts-a-displaced-left-turn-intersection-is-coming-to-indianapolis

Displaced left turn intersection coming to US 31/Thompson Rd. Anybody have experience with one of these?

No. But I experience this intersection a lot. I don't know...it may work. Don't know about the Lloyd though, those intersections should be grade-separated.

[bmeiser]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/move-over-roundabouts-a-displaced-left-turn-intersection-is-coming-to-indianapolis

Displaced left turn intersection coming to US 31/Thompson Rd. Anybody have experience with one of these?

I agree with the guy they interviewed. Southsiders don't like change. This is going to be a mess for awhile. I can see people from the south taking Epler and from the north taking Hanna instead to avoid this intersection altogether.

[skluth]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/move-over-roundabouts-a-displaced-left-turn-intersection-is-coming-to-indianapolis

Displaced left turn intersection coming to US 31/Thompson Rd. Anybody have experience with one of these?

Yes. I used this one regularly when I lived in St Louis as the left turn into Gravois Bluffs goes to the back area of a popular shopping center. It works quite well though it does look weird.

[JoePCool14]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/move-over-roundabouts-a-displaced-left-turn-intersection-is-coming-to-indianapolis

Displaced left turn intersection coming to US 31/Thompson Rd. Anybody have experience with one of these?

A CFI in Indiana. Sounds like a doozy and seems like that might be a lot for that location.

[jhuntin1]

The problem with the intersection of Thompson Rd/IN-135 and US-31 is that a lot of traffic joins southbound US-31 from I-465 east. Many cars then cut across three lanes of traffic to get to the left-turn lane for eastbound Thompson Rd. I think they tried to fix that with the signaled intersection, but the other issue is that the line of cars to turn left often overflows into the left lane, creating more of a hazard. I have no idea if this will alleviate the issue. INDOT has certainly been willing to try alternative traffic control methods, so I hope this has the intended effect.

[tdindy88]

The problem with the intersection of Thompson Rd/IN-135 and US-31 is that a lot of traffic joins southbound US-31 from I-465 east. Many cars then cut across three lanes of traffic to get to the left-turn lane for eastbound Thompson Rd. I think they tried to fix that with the signaled intersection, but the other issue is that the line of cars to turn left often overflows into the left lane, creating more of a hazard. I have no idea if this will alleviate the issue. INDOT has certainly been willing to try alternative traffic control methods, so I hope this has the intended effect.

A double left turn lane from SR 31 to eastbound Thompson could do wonders there as well. Hell that probably what they should have done in the first place. I have gotten home from work taking 465 to 31 south and have now avoided the far left lane specifically because of the overflowing from the left turn lane. I just hope whatever displaced left turn they do construct will be long enough to hold the traffic on it because I don't think it's two lanes.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Read this morning about a potential idea of decommissioning more Indiana state highways, this time in Johnson County.

https://dailyjournal.net/2022/03/29/county-considers-indot-agreement-for-smith-valley-road-project/

The idea would decommission SR 44 from the Morgan County line east to the junction with SR 144 west of Franklin (with the part from there east to I-65 already decommissioned several years back.) Also, the remaining part of SR 144 in Johnson County from SR 135 in Bargersville to Franklin would be relinquished. And finally SR 252 from SR 135 in Trafalgar to US 31 in Edinburgh would be relinquished.

All of this would help fund the widening of Smith Valley Road from the interchange with I-69 east to Morgantown Road, which isn't that long of a stretch of road. If they were to do this I'd might want Smith Valley to be widened all the way to SR 135 at least. The SR 144 and 252 decommissioning I could live with, but that SR 44 one might be weird starting right at the county line. It would make the already ridiculous gap in the way seem more strange, might as well get rid of the rest of the road west to I-69.

But none of this is agreed upon yet, it's just an idea that INDOT is floating around with Johnson County.

144 should be completely removed. and if they do this just kill that whole portion of 44 from 69 to 144.

https://dailyjournal.net/2022/04/29/road-relinquishment-proposal-dead-for-now/

And it's apparently dead (for now)...