I-65 expansion from Indy to Chicago?

Started by msunat97, March 26, 2022, 10:02:16 AM

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msunat97

Drove up I65 from Indy to Chicago yesterday.  The amount of truck traffic is INSANE!  Does Indiana have any plans to expand 65 to 6 lanes?


silverback1065

Yes, but in small pieces. They are going to make it 6 lanes throughout the whole state eventually. Right now from Indy to Chicago they have a piece from 32 to 47 being widened. And from 25 to just north of 43. I think there's a piece from 10 to 2 being designed now. Construction expected in a few yrs.

NWI_Irish96

Yes, the truck traffic is beyond ridiculous. Hopefully the infrastructure deal will speed up this process.
I hadn't heard about the segment from 10 to 2. Where did you see that?
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
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ilpt4u

#3
I haven't driven I-65 in Northern Indiana in a few years time...but even 20 years ago the truck traffic was insane

I got to the point, going between Chicagoland and Southern Indiana, that I preferred the much more relaxing, even if a bit slower, haul down US 41/IN 63/US 41 down to US 50/150 and over, versus down I-65, around on I-465, and then down then-IN 37/becoming I-69

I get the same feelings on I-57 between Marion and Mt Vernon in Illinois, at least until IDOT finishes the 6 laning project. So many trucks its just not comfortable to drive or even safe

msunat97

Quote from: ilpt4u on March 26, 2022, 10:45:45 AM
I haven't driven I-65 in Northern Indiana in a few years time...but even 20 years ago the truck traffic was insane

I got to the point, going between Chicagoland and Southern Indiana, that I preferred the much more relaxing, even if a bit slower, haul down US 41/IN 63/US 41 down to US 50/150 and over, versus down I-65, around on I-465, and then down then-IN 37/becoming I-69

I get the same feelings on I-57 between Marion and Mt Vernon in Illinois, at least until IDOT finishes the 6 laning project. So many trucks its just not comfortable to drive or even safe

Agree on 41 south from Chicago.  I hate driving in Illinois & the traffic on 65 is nuts.  I've started started taking Hwy 41 thru Terra Haute & Evansville if I'm headed down towards Nashville.  It's much more relaxing and I can set the cruise at 9+ over the speed limit and enjoy the drive.  Even I-69 was nice, but the 65 corridor is too congested.

SkyPesos

I remember seeing construction on I-65 between Lebanon and Lafayette when I drove it a few times. Guessing that's for the widening to 6 lanes.

Great Lakes Roads

Once the SR 32 to SR 47 widening is done, there will be a ~20-mile gap between those two widening projects that I would be expecting that section to be filled in within the next 5-10 years. There are three pairs of bridges left in that stretch that hasn't been widened yet (in which one of those pairs of bridges had some work done recently), and all three of them cross over small creeks.

With all of the INSANE truck traffic on 65 more recently, I now take 31 down to Indy from La Porte since it's a much smoother drive.

CtrlAltDel

As far as I can tell, the red bits of I-65 between I-80/I-94 and I-865 in the image below have three lanes or more in both directions, while the bits in purple are being expanded. That leaves quite a bit to go, though.

Interstates clinched: 4, 57, 275 (IN-KY-OH), 465 (IN), 640 (TN), 985
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silverback1065

Quote from: cabiness42 on March 26, 2022, 10:33:37 AM
Yes, the truck traffic is beyond ridiculous. Hopefully the infrastructure deal will speed up this process.
I hadn't heard about the segment from 10 to 2. Where did you see that?
Don't quote me on that one I remember asking about it to someone familiar with previous widening jobs on 65 and they mentioned that that was a candidate to be widened next since it would connect to what was done last. No idea when it would happen, I just took it as it's probably under design now.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on March 26, 2022, 03:51:58 PM
As far as I can tell, the red bits of I-65 between I-80/I-94 and I-865 in the image below have three lanes or more in both directions, while the bits in purple are being expanded. That leaves quite a bit to go, though.



You only have the stop segment down to US 30 but it actually goes to IN 2.

I get why it makes sense to work from each end when filling in that gap, but from a traffic standpoint, I'd rather have them do IN 114 to US 24 next, to give people a spot to get by all the trucks they've been stuck behind.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

Buck87

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on March 26, 2022, 03:51:58 PM
(Map)

Thanks for posting that, makes this much easier to understand for someone not too familiar with this section.

silverback1065

some people on this thread say the Indy to Louisville section is worse. I think the Indy to Chicago one is but I go that way way more.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: silverback1065 on March 26, 2022, 04:08:36 PM
some people on this thread say the Indy to Louisville section is worse. I think the Indy to Chicago one is but I go that way way more.

I drive both a lot and they're really equally bad. The whole thing really needs 6 lanes ASAP.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

CtrlAltDel

Quote from: cabiness42 on March 26, 2022, 04:03:12 PM

You only have the stop segment down to US 30 but it actually goes to IN 2.

Good catch. I have redone the map, and also added nearby exit numbers.
Interstates clinched: 4, 57, 275 (IN-KY-OH), 465 (IN), 640 (TN), 985
State Interstates clinched: I-26 (TN), I-75 (GA), I-75 (KY), I-75 (TN), I-81 (WV), I-95 (NH)

mvak36

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=7946.msg2688597#msg2688597

Looks like the only thing planned for the near future is on the Indy-Louisville stretch
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3467

What are the traffic counts on it? I know 41 isn't very busy.

edwaleni

CSX recently announced they will no longer take containers out of the Chicago terminals to Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, Shippers will have to dray them out of the terminals to reach their neighboring state endpoints.

CSX found it was no longer profitable enough to assemble container through freights from Chicago to these states and therefore shippers will be forced to have them trucked to their docks.

This has had a profound impact on the number of trucks out of the Chicago Metro to Detroit, Cleveland and Indy. CN and the Indiana Railroad are the only ones who will route Asian containers directly to Indy.

Subsequently they are expanding their Senate Ave. terminal in downtown Indy as shippers move traffic over.

I-65 already has a significant amount of container truck traffic along with UPS and FedEx Ground between Chicago and Indy.

Once upon a time we used to avoid I-65 and take US-41 up to Kentland or Morocco and cut over to Illinois.

It would be interesting to see how much traffic has diverted from I-65 sooner after the UP and BNSF yards opened at Arsenal.

SkyPesos

Quote from: silverback1065 on March 26, 2022, 04:08:36 PM
some people on this thread say the Indy to Louisville section is worse. I think the Indy to Chicago one is but I go that way way more.
Idk that much about Indy-Louisville, as I have no reason to use it based on my location, but Indy-Chicago also takes in traffic from Cincinnati (I-74, which I commonly use) and Columbus (I-70) to Chicago. And in Louisville, NB I-65 loses some traffic to I-71 going towards Ohio, western PA and western NY. So I would imagine that Indy-Chicago is busier.

ilpt4u

#18
Quote from: SkyPesos on March 26, 2022, 08:59:09 PM
Quote from: silverback1065 on March 26, 2022, 04:08:36 PM
some people on this thread say the Indy to Louisville section is worse. I think the Indy to Chicago one is but I go that way way more.
Idk that much about Indy-Louisville, as I have no reason to use it based on my location, but Indy-Chicago also takes in traffic from Cincinnati (I-74, which I commonly use) and Columbus (I-70) to Chicago. And in Louisville, NB I-65 loses some traffic to I-71 going towards Ohio, western PA and western NY. So I would imagine that Indy-Chicago is busier.
Conversely, I-65 south of Indy gets the "Chicagoland Bypass"  traffic from I-39/I-74 that is headed to the Southeast US

Also gets the Michigan traffic headed down I-69 to points south

mvak36

#19
Quote from: ilpt4u on March 26, 2022, 09:43:45 PM
Quote from: SkyPesos on March 26, 2022, 08:59:09 PM
Quote from: silverback1065 on March 26, 2022, 04:08:36 PM
some people on this thread say the Indy to Louisville section is worse. I think the Indy to Chicago one is but I go that way way more.
Idk that much about Indy-Louisville, as I have no reason to use it based on my location, but Indy-Chicago also takes in traffic from Cincinnati (I-74, which I commonly use) and Columbus (I-70) to Chicago. And in Louisville, NB I-65 loses some traffic to I-71 going towards Ohio, western PA and western NY. So I would imagine that Indy-Chicago is busier.
Conversely, I-65 south of Indy gets the "Chicagoland Bypass"  traffic from I-39/I-74 that is headed to the Southeast US

Also gets the Michigan traffic headed down I-69 to points south

I agree with you on the I-69 traffic on the Indy-Louisville stretch.

If I calculated right, there will be about 46 miles on this stretch remaining that will need to be widened after the STIP projects are completed. Scottsburg-Seymour (approx. mile marker 30 to Exit 50) and from Exit 64 to Exit 90.
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JoePCool14

Quote from: cabiness42 on March 26, 2022, 04:03:12 PM
I get why it makes sense to work from each end when filling in that gap, but from a traffic standpoint, I'd rather have them do IN 114 to US 24 next, to give people a spot to get by all the trucks they've been stuck behind.

Wholeheartedly agree. I personally find it more useful and relieving to see a 6-laned section after endless miles of 4-lane. It's like having a passing lane on a 2-land road.

Also that map really puts the current 6-laning into perspective. To put it another way, not much of it is 6-laned.

:) Needs more... :sombrero: Not quite... :bigass: Perfect.
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mukade

Pointing back to one of my posts in the US 31 upgrade thread. Go down to the fourth post to see traffic volumes and a discussion on which freeways should be widened first.

I favor spreading the upgrades across all of the Interstates rather than just widening I-65. Yes, driving I-65 is frustrating, but the same goes for sections of I-69 and I-70. I think that is the way INDOT is looking at it as well.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: mukade on March 27, 2022, 03:10:25 PM
Pointing back to one of my posts in the US 31 upgrade thread. Go down to the fourth post to see traffic volumes and a discussion on which freeways should be widened first.

I favor spreading the upgrades across all of the Interstates rather than just widening I-65. Yes, driving I-65 is frustrating, but the same goes for sections of I-69 and I-70. I think that is the way INDOT is looking at it as well.

I rarely drive I-70 so I can't speak to that, but there are absolutely zero sections of I-69 that are only 4 lanes that are as bad as I-65. Traffic volumes may be comparable but I-69 has far, far fewer trucks.

I don't remember where I saw it, but I-65 has significantly higher accident rates than I-70.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

mukade

Quote from: cabiness42 on March 27, 2022, 03:27:20 PM
Quote from: mukade on March 27, 2022, 03:10:25 PM
Pointing back to one of my posts in the US 31 upgrade thread. Go down to the fourth post to see traffic volumes and a discussion on which freeways should be widened first.

I favor spreading the upgrades across all of the Interstates rather than just widening I-65. Yes, driving I-65 is frustrating, but the same goes for sections of I-69 and I-70. I think that is the way INDOT is looking at it as well.

I rarely drive I-70 so I can't speak to that, but there are absolutely zero sections of I-69 that are only 4 lanes that are as bad as I-65. Traffic volumes may be comparable but I-69 has far, far fewer trucks.

I don't remember where I saw it, but I-65 has significantly higher accident rates than I-70.

Actually, I-69 is also very truck heavy as it is a primary corridor between Canada and the US. I maintain the two sections of I-69 in that table are legitimate. If you can find objective truck volume numbers to indicate otherwise, please share.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: mukade on March 27, 2022, 03:32:50 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on March 27, 2022, 03:27:20 PM
Quote from: mukade on March 27, 2022, 03:10:25 PM
Pointing back to one of my posts in the US 31 upgrade thread. Go down to the fourth post to see traffic volumes and a discussion on which freeways should be widened first.

I favor spreading the upgrades across all of the Interstates rather than just widening I-65. Yes, driving I-65 is frustrating, but the same goes for sections of I-69 and I-70. I think that is the way INDOT is looking at it as well.

I rarely drive I-70 so I can't speak to that, but there are absolutely zero sections of I-69 that are only 4 lanes that are as bad as I-65. Traffic volumes may be comparable but I-69 has far, far fewer trucks.

I don't remember where I saw it, but I-65 has significantly higher accident rates than I-70.

Actually, I-69 is also very truck heavy as it is a primary corridor between Canada and the US. I maintain the two sections of I-69 in that table are legitimate. If you can find objective truck volume numbers to indicate otherwise, please share.

Those segments of I-69 are both pretty short. You're not getting held up for very long by traffic in those segments. If we're talking about getting the most increase in traffic flow and safety on the dollar, the 65 and 70 upgrades should be prioritized.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%



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