US40 decommissioned through Terre Haute

[Kniwt]

The Terre Haute Tribune-Star reports that INDOT has rerouted US40 beginning east of the city onto SR 46 south to I-70, and then west on I-70 to Exit 1, where it joins the previous I-70/US40 concurrency to briefly cross the Illinois state line before splitting.

There's a photo that shows some of the new signage at US40 and SR46 near the Rose-Hulman campus.

This also means that the original "Crossroads of America" at the corner of Seventh Street and Wabash Avenue no longer has either of its original routes (US40 and US41) passing through it.

Oddly, the story does not talk about what happened to the previous US40/US150 concurrency through West Terre Haute, or what signage is used along US41 through downtown. A total of 159 new signs were installed, the story says.

Fixed url tag - Alex

ETA: Oh, I misspoke on the Crossroads of America thing. US40 had been moved to a couplet, one block north and south of Wabash, many decades ago.

[Alex]

The former route of U.S. 40, starting at Indiana 46 and linking to I-70, was about 10.3 miles. The new U.S. 40 route is about 13.9 miles or about 2.5 miles longer "but through traffic will travel faster on the new route due to higher speed limits and fewer traffic signals,"  Calder said.

Like anyone still uses U.S. 40 as the through route? Moving it onto another stretch of useless Interstate overlap and following with "through traffic will travel faster" is lame. 

[Brandon]

Any bets on when (not if) INDOT moves US-40 to I-70 throughout the entire state?

[Alex]

Any bets on when (not if) INDOT moves US-40 to I-70 throughout the entire state?

I was pondering the same thing. Maybe they can erect signs at the state line that display "U.S. 40 follow Interstate 70 west to IL or east to OH"...

[NE2]

I bet they'll keep it on I-465 though, despite following I-70 on both sides

[mobilene]

I'm always a bit sad when a route through a town is decommissioned.  But so it goes.  Indiana has a statutory limit on the number of highway miles, so every new highway means an old one has to go.

Somewhere around here, I have a photo I took in 1988 or 1989 of the sign gantry shown in the Tribune-Star article.  I'll have to scan it in and share it.

I wonder if INDOT truncated SR 46 at I-70.  It doesn't make a lot of sense for 46 to be signed all the way to Wabash Ave. (the local name for what's now old US 40) if it's also signed as US 40.

I sure hope that US 40 is never realigned along I-70 across the state.  While vast stretches of it get very little travel, many of the counties through which it runs aren't exactly flush with the kind of cash necessary to maintain it.

This is a typical moment on US 40, from Putnam County.


US 40 in Putnam County, Indiana by mobilene, on Flickr

[Alex]

I'm always a bit sad when a route through a town is decommissioned.  But so it goes.  Indiana has a statutory limit on the number of highway miles, so every new highway means an old one has to go.

When was that limit set? Did it ever account for the concept that population growth means more roads are needed to accommodate the gains in traffic, or allow for an increase in the limit? Because of these types of caps, useless overlaps occur and more roads come under local control that perhaps ought to remain in the state system.

[froggie]

However, if you have a new route that overtakes much of the function of the original route (i.e. I-70 and US 40), you have a case where the state is maintaining duplicate routes.  Especially if the original route is serving purely local traffic, it doesn't make sense for the state to continue maintaining it.

Which, by and large, sums up why MnDOT turned back the old roads to the counties.

[mobilene]

When was that limit set? Did it ever account for the concept that population growth means more roads are needed to accommodate the gains in traffic, or allow for an increase in the limit? Because of these types of caps, useless overlaps occur and more roads come under local control that perhaps ought to remain in the state system.

Dunno when the limit was set, but it's part of Indiana Code -- IC 8-23-4-2 to be specific.  It limits the state highway network to 12,000 miles.

http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title8/ar23/ch4.html

I've always thought this was kind of silly for the same reasons you cite.

[mobilene]

Here's the 1988 version of the sign gantry where US 40 meets SR 46 on Terre Haute's east side.


A sign gantry of days gone by by mobilene, on Flickr

[tdindy88]

I was also wondering if SR 46 would be moved further south to I-70 too, as well, will it be truncated further south to where it will intersect with SR 641. Given that 641 is supposed to be a bypass connecting US 41 and I-70 I would think that it would be routed all the way north to 70, in any case 46 should then start after its interchange with 641. 

[rawmustard]

I was also wondering if SR 46 would be moved further south to I-70 too, as well, will it be truncated further south to where it will intersect with SR 641. Given that 641 is supposed to be a bypass connecting US 41 and I-70 I would think that it would be routed all the way north to 70, in any case 46 should then start after its interchange with 641. 

INDOT has typically truncated a route designation whenever another route designation would get rerouted onto it from a terminus (case in point: SR 7 and SR 9 truncations when SR 46 was rerouted in Columbus). Although the article doesn't state it specifically, the picture used therein hints that SR 46 may have already been truncated to I-70. Otherwise, there would still be a SR 46 shield next to the US 40 shield on that gantry in all likelihood.

[RoadWarrior56]

When I was a co-op student in the division of Planning of what is now INDOT back in '76, I remember hearing about an ambitious plan at the time that would had decommissioned or moved to the interstates many US and state highways that paralleled Interstate highways.  US 40 would had lost its independent alignment throughout Indiana, for example.

Of course, that plan never came to frution, and I am not sure how serious it really was.   I supsect it met or would had met a buzzsaw of opposition from local officals, not wanting to suddenly have to maintain all of those roads.

To me, old US 40 inside Terre Haute, as well as Washington Street in Indianapolis should be designated "Historic US 40" with signage provided, but with local control and maintenance.  I don't expect this to happen, but it would respect the historical importance of the original alignment of US 40, having been the National Road.

[froggie]

To me, old US 40 inside Terre Haute, as well as Washington Street in Indianapolis should be designated "Historic US 40" with signage provided, but with local control and maintenance.  I don't expect this to happen, but it would respect the historical importance of the original alignment of US 40, having been the National Road.

Fully agree with this one.

[NE2]

Don't they have signs for the National Road?

[mobilene]

The National Road is signed all across Indiana.  Here's an example from Plainfield.  I'd also love to see Historic 40 designations in Indy and TH/West TH because that highway is significant in its own right.


Plainfield, IN by mobilene, on Flickr

[hbelkins]

The Terre Haute Tribune-Star reports that INDOT has rerouted US40 beginning east of the city onto SR 46 south to I-70, and then west on I-70 to Exit 1, where it joins the previous I-70/US40 concurrency to briefly cross the Illinois state line before splitting.

That story uses the term "federal route." 

[US71]

The Terre Haute Tribune-Star reports that INDOT has rerouted US40 beginning east of the city onto SR 46 south to I-70, and then west on I-70 to Exit 1, where it joins the previous I-70/US40 concurrency to briefly cross the Illinois state line before splitting.

That story uses the term "federal route." 

Only as a generic term. There is no mention of "Federal Route 40" 

[mukade]

I'm always a bit sad when a route through a town is decommissioned.  But so it goes.  Indiana has a statutory limit on the number of highway miles, so every new highway means an old one has to go.

I guess I respectfully disagree that a new mile of road means another has to go. By and large, most recent changes have been decommissionings, but two exceptions will be the US 31 bypass (in Kokomo, at least) and part of I-69 where it won't be a one for one trade (i.e. I think the highway system will gain a few miles). Another recent one was the new routing of SR 37 just north of I-64 where SR 237 was created on the old SR 37 route.

Evidence of no required reductions for new highways is on the INDOT web site on the "Trivia" page at http://www.in.gov/indot/3250.htm:
   
    Q: Approximately how many lane miles of highway are maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)?

    A: INDOT is responsible for about 11,300 centerline miles

That leaves a cushion of 700 miles. That said, INDOT definitely wants to shed miles.

[mobilene]

Ok, showing my ignorance -- are the interstates part of the total in Indiana?  I knew the state and US highways were.

I also made an assumption that Indiana was right up to the limit of miles!

[mukade]

No, not at all. I've read what you wrote in many places, but the INDOT site I think sets it straight. I believed it until I read the INDOT trivia. Anyway, I would guess the 11,300 is even high now.

Interstates would count, IMO.Every highway including Interstate highways are built and maintained by the state.

[Henry]

Always sad to hear about a US highway being rerouted away from town.

When I was a co-op student in the division of Planning of what is now INDOT back in '76, I remember hearing about an ambitious plan at the time that would had decommissioned or moved to the interstates many US and state highways that paralleled Interstate highways.  US 40 would had lost its independent alignment throughout Indiana, for example.

Of course, that plan never came to frution, and I am not sure how serious it really was.   I supsect it met or would had met a buzzsaw of opposition from local officals, not wanting to suddenly have to maintain all of those roads.

To me, old US 40 inside Terre Haute, as well as Washington Street in Indianapolis should be designated "Historic US 40" with signage provided, but with local control and maintenance.  I don't expect this to happen, but it would respect the historical importance of the original alignment of US 40, having been the National Road.

I echo that sentiment! After all, they did this in the West, allowing the Interstates to eat up most, if not all, US highways that covered their alignments; see I-15 and US 91, I-8/I-10 and US 80, and I-90/US 10 for prime examples.

[Kniwt]

INDOT has now partially relented and will re-sign SR46 along the route that was taken over by the rerouted US40.
http://tribstar.com/news/x459214484/DOT-to-return-Indiana-46-signs-to-Terre-Haute-s-east-side

A Indiana Department of Transportation official said that after discussions with Terre Haute city leaders, the road that runs south to Interstate 70 from a T-intersection at U.S. 40 just west of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will be identified on road signs as both Indiana 46 and U.S. 40.

[vtk]

Q: Approximately how many lane miles of highway are maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)?

A: INDOT is responsible for about 11,300 centerline miles

That doesn't actually answer the question.

[mukade]

Q: Approximately how many lane miles of highway are maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)?

A: INDOT is responsible for about 11,300 centerline miles

That doesn't actually answer the question.

It may not actually answer the question, but that was copied directly from the INDOT web site. Updated numbers are at INDOT - Fun Facts/Trivia. Note the number of miles as of 1/1/2011 were 9052 miles with a cap of 12,000 miles.