Indiana Notes

[The Ghostbuster]

Here is some information on Sam Jones, if anyone is interested: https://historicindianapolis.com/whats-in-a-name-sam-jones-expressway/. I assume the Sam Jones Expressway designation ends at S. Tibbs Ave. because that is where the Airport Expressway designation ended as well.

[Great Lakes Roads]

On June 1st, the city of Muncie and INDOT agreed on the relinquishment of SR 32 between the western city limits to the Muncie Bypass... INDOT will still complete all of the programmed projects through FY 2027. So yeah, they are pulling a Lafayette/Kokomo move here!

[tdindy88]

On June 1st, the city of Muncie and INDOT agreed on the relinquishment of SR 32 between the western city limits to the Muncie Bypass... INDOT will still complete all of the programmed projects through FY 2027. So yeah, they are pulling a Lafayette/Kokomo move here!

Ugg! Another highway that runs from state line to state line, now divided. There's an easy fix to this one too. They could reroute SR 32 along SR 67 from I-69 east along the southern Muncie bypass to the SR 32 interchange and continue the route east from there. And they could get rid of even more state-maintained routing between Daleville and Yorktown.

[silverback1065]

if theyre doing that in muncie, why are they keeping the westfield and noblesville section? It won't surprise me that in a few years, every city in indiana will have a random gap in highway coverage, making it impossible to figure out how to get through the city without gps.

[PurdueBill]

INDOT is out of control with the gaps in numbered routes.  Rerouting 32 around Muncie would be like they first did 20 years ago for 25 around Lafayette, having it join 65 coming in from the north and then going down to the SR 38 exit and following 38 back over to 52 to rejoin its old self.  That only lasted a few years and then it was discontinued in favor of an END 25 sign at each "end" (at 65 on the north and at 231 on the south) and now they have done similar to 26. 

One shouldn't need GPS just to follow numbered routes; the route shouldn't just randomly end and then begin again.  The way that they post END assemblies when the route picks back up on the other side of town, with no posting of how to get there, is so stupid. 
I know that they are following strict mileage caps and stuff but that in itself is stupid to have to deal with.  They ought to be able to do like is done in Massachusetts, Ohio, and many other places where a state numbered route can travel on city/town/county roads, with navigation being the reason for route numbers.  Indicating ownership or maintenance responsibility is not what signed route numbers are really for.  (If they were, the federal government would be responsible for US and Interstate routes, which it isn't.)

[Great Lakes Roads]

BREAKING NEWS: INDOT will be rolling out speed cameras in four work zones starting on July 1st... 

https://www.14news.com/2023/06/27/indot-rolling-out-speed-camera-program/

[tosa]

The I-65 Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at County Road 550 is now OPEN.

https://www.facebook.com/100069113798332/posts/pfbid0Zf6dyqPU4E2pG21t4sYeZxFKCyRBpHTD1TDrRbmQR44cZUdx4jZXScDSpgGckcibl/?mibextid=cr9u03

[bmeiser]

I've been using it! It's a nice alternative to 267, but the road east of the interchange is closed so you have to take the frontage road up to a road that cuts through a warehouse park to 500 S to go east. Not ideal right now but will be nice once that is rebuilt to curve north to 500, based on Whitestown's thoroughfare plan: https://whitestown.in.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Whitestown_Thoroughfare_Plan_2020_12.24.2020.pdf

[silverback1065]

I wonder why they didn't just make another east west thoroughfare out of 550 that would take pressure off of whitestown parkway and albert s white

[bmeiser]

Because it runs directly into a neighborhood east of 65.

[silverback1065]

Because it runs directly into a neighborhood east of 65.

yes, but all of this was planned prior to that neighborhood existing.

[bmeiser]

Albert S White (or Albert South White, as Google calls it) was built to be widened to 4 lanes in the future and it is nowhere near needing that extra capacity yet. So they must have not projected a need for a third thoroughfare over the need to put people places, opting instead to route traffic up to ASW and the 146th street corridor.

[Revive 755]

BREAKING NEWS: INDOT will be rolling out speed cameras in four work zones starting on July 1st... 

I take it you haven't been through that wonderful work zone on US 41 that has the normal 60 mph speed limit down to 35, with lanes wider than normal and head to head traffic?

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/ESTMRa6CsWDiQNuD9
What's with the Downtown Only orangeout?

I see it was only in 2021, but now removed. Did they have I-65 closed in 2021?

[SkyPesos]

https://goo.gl/maps/ESTMRa6CsWDiQNuD9
What's with the Downtown Only orangeout?

I see it was only in 2021, but now removed. Did they have I-65 closed in 2021?

North Split reconstruction project

[silverback1065]

https://goo.gl/maps/ESTMRa6CsWDiQNuD9
What's with the Downtown Only orangeout?

I see it was only in 2021, but now removed. Did they have I-65 closed in 2021?

both 65 and 70 were closed for 2 years

[cjw2001]

https://goo.gl/maps/ESTMRa6CsWDiQNuD9
What's with the Downtown Only orangeout?

I see it was only in 2021, but now removed. Did they have I-65 closed in 2021?

both 65 and 70 were closed for 2 years

https://northsplit.com/schedule/

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=27307.0

[ITB]

The new Kankakee Welcome Center in Jasper County is nearing completion. Looks impressive. Read more about it here and here.

[ITB]

Ever hear of the Indiana Vehicle Fuel Dashboard? Probably not. It's a website brought to you by the Indiana Department of Energy to provide information about the types of fuel used by Indiana registered vehicles. The dashboard allows users to search under specific vehicle fuel types, such as electric, hybrid, and, of course, gasoline. Results can also be filtered by county and by vehicle type.

As alternative fuel vehicles, particularly electric, are increasingly adopted nationwide, the dashboard provides hard numbers on the changes occurring in Indiana. Updated weekly, the dashboard has statistics going back to 2018.

Access the Indiana Vehicle Fuel Dashboard here and at the above link.

[silverback1065]

Is there any interest between Indiana or Kentucky to just completely replace the Sherman Minton Bridge? It seems to always have problems, why not just replace it eventually? besides the cost obviously, what are other reasons why they haven't considered this?  I heard they are closing it again for emergency repairs.

[ibthebigd]

Or Route I-64 onto I-265 permanently and make Sherman-Minton a 3 Digit

SM-G996U

[NWI_Irish96]

Or Route I-64 onto I-265 permanently and make Sherman-Minton a 3 Digit

SM-G996U

I-265 is only 4 lanes and not capable of carrying I-64 traffic long term, and there are several spots where widening it would be extremely difficult if not impossible.

Whether by repair or replacement, there needs to be a functional western bridge.

[ilpt4u]

I-265 is only 4 lanes and not capable of carrying I-64 traffic long term, and there are several spots where widening it would be extremely difficult if not impossible.

Whether by repair or replacement, there needs to be a functional western bridge.

Both the East End Bridge and the twin tunnel tubes look wide enough to carry 3 lanes each way, with narrow shoulders on the bridge and no shoulders in the tunnel.

Are there HC restrictions on the KY-841 soon-to-be I-265 tunnel?

That said, a western bridge to New Albany is a good thing, but could not the current bridge with much lighter daily AADT/load and potentially a single deck be less trouble maintenance-wise?

[The Ghostbuster]

Rerouting Interstate 64 onto Interstate 265 was part of that 8664 website that proposed removing Interstate 64 between Interstate 264 and Interstate 65, which would have renumbered the rest of 64 west of 265 as Interstate 364. The proposal was always a pipe dream, and didn't go anywhere.

[NWI_Irish96]

I-265 is only 4 lanes and not capable of carrying I-64 traffic long term, and there are several spots where widening it would be extremely difficult if not impossible.

Whether by repair or replacement, there needs to be a functional western bridge.

Both the East End Bridge and the twin tunnel tubes look wide enough to carry 3 lanes each way, with narrow shoulders on the bridge and no shoulders in the tunnel.

Are there HC restrictions on the KY-841 soon-to-be I-265 tunnel?

That said, a western bridge to New Albany is a good thing, but could not the current bridge with much lighter daily AADT/load and potentially a single deck be less trouble maintenance-wise?

I'm talking about I-265 between I-64 and I-65. There are so many homes and businesses along there that would be very, very expensive to buy out in order to widen.