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Indiana Notes

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mukade:
1) I saw my first centerline rumble strip in Indiana on SR 26 near Kokomo. I know the contract lettings had one for US 231, but the first bids were rejected.




2) News article: INDOT Nears Construction Season End

mukade:
I was in South Bend, Mishawaka, and Elkhart today househunting for my daughter. In addition to seeing the normal projects like US 31, I went down Elkhart County CR 17 on the way home. I'm familiar with the northern part, but I was a bit surprised to see the southern part which is an expressway from at least US 33 (maybe US 20) south past SR 119 to CR 58. Also of interest, it goes from expressway to a narrow dirt road at CR 58. I've seen this out west, but not in Indiana.

This made me think of the phenomena here where non-intercity state roads in Indiana are dwindling, but locally maintained expressways or freeways are being built. These are the ones I am aware of:
- Elkhart CR 17 - expressway serves as eastern bypass of Elkhart and western bypass of Goshen
- Keystone Pkwy - old SR 431 in Carmel where access is now fully controlled from 96th Street up to US 31
- University Pkwy - expressway that serves as a western bypass of Evansville
- Ronald Reagan Pkwy - still being built in Hendricks County west of Indianapolis

Shorter versions are:
- 146th Street/Campus Pkwy in Noblesville and Fishers
- Airport Expressway in Fort Wayne

A future one will probably be Mt. Comfort Rd. in Hancock County/Olio Rd. in Hamilton County which will serve as a eastern beltway of Indy.

Normally, one would think these would all be state routes.

NWI_Irish96:

--- Quote from: mukade on October 27, 2012, 10:58:27 PM ---I was in South Bend, Mishawaka, and Elkhart today househunting for my daughter. In addition to seeing the normal projects like US 31, I went down Elkhart County CR 17 on the way home. I'm familiar with the northern part, but I was a bit surprised to see the southern part which is an expressway from at least US 33 (maybe US 20) south past SR 119 to CR 58. Also of interest, it goes from expressway to a narrow dirt road at CR 58. I've seen this out west, but not in Indiana.

--- End quote ---

That's CR 38, not 58.  Elkhart County has plans to extend the expressway from CR 38 down to US 6 but is not actively working on funding the project at this time.  (Kosciusko County has also discussed extending the road as far south as US 30.)  The next item on the list is to upgrade CR 38 from CR 17 to US 33, which would essentially complete a Western bypass of Goshen.

Between the Elkhart CR 17 project, the US 31 project, and the IN 331/Capital Ave project, north-south travel in St Joseph/Elkhart counties is about to get much easier.

mukade:
Yes, CR 38, not CR 58. Upgrading CR 38 would be great as going through Goshen is vey slow and painful. It would be amazing to see CR 17/CR 200W upgraded to expressway to US 30, but I doubt it would be justified. They definitely need some sort of interchange on CR 17 at US 33, though.

Similar to these locally-controlled expressways, INDOT is building two new ones now: SR 331 in Mishawaka and US 231 in West Lafayette. Both of these will greatly improve traffic in their areas. Maybe someday there will also be the US 231 Jasper bypass, but NW Indiana and Indianapolis areas are the ones that really need more such highways.

mukade:
The US 231 Lafayette bypass (which will also carry US 52) seems to be coming along nicely. The majority of the road is paved with only the hill from River Rd. to the airport remaining as a significant gap. Where the road meets existing US 52, they have yet to begin the intersection, but you can see the new road almost reaching. Yesterday, they were paving the SR 26 intersection just west of Purdue University.

I haven't heard when this is supposed to open, but I doubt that it will be this year.

This bypass is a much needed improvement, but I still think Lafayette needs another good east-west road. They are still finishing the westbound reconstruction of Sagamore Parkway (currently US 52) so both directions temporarily use the eastbound lanes. The eastbound traffic backup going into the construction area was over a mile yesterday.

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