Indiana Notes

[silverback1065]

a new giant arrow per lane sign has been installed just after the MLK/West street interchange on SB 65. probably there to direct drivers into the correct lane for the north split interchange and collector just down the road. major backups have been happening worse than before construction have been happening and it appears to be because people are confused. maybe this will help.

[cjw2001]

Just spent a little time watching the Washington Street ramp at I465 traffic camera to see how the new ramp metering is doing.  Have to say the drivers are more clueless than I expected.  Some ignore the light and drive right through and some are stopping far in advance of the red light so that the signal doesn't detect their presence and doesn't give them a green.  Eventually the sensors further down the ramp detect the backup and let everyone through to clear the ramp.  Not a good start.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Just spent a little time watching the Washington Street ramp at I465 traffic camera to see how the new ramp metering is doing.  Have to say the drivers are more clueless than I expected.  Some ignore the light and drive right through and some are stopping far in advance of the red light so that the signal doesn't detect their presence and doesn't give them a green.  Eventually the sensors further down the ramp detect the backup and let everyone through to clear the ramp.  Not a good start.

Just watched a few minutes of the ramp meters being activated, and people are so dumb that it backed the traffic to the intersection... Kinda knew that it was going to be a s**t storm when activated!

[Interstate 69 Fan]

Just spent a little time watching the Washington Street ramp at I465 traffic camera to see how the new ramp metering is doing.  Have to say the drivers are more clueless than I expected.  Some ignore the light and drive right through and some are stopping far in advance of the red light so that the signal doesn't detect their presence and doesn't give them a green.  Eventually the sensors further down the ramp detect the backup and let everyone through to clear the ramp.  Not a good start.

Just watched a few minutes of the ramp meters being activated, and people are so dumb that it backed the traffic to the intersection... Kinda knew that it was going to be a s**t storm when activated!

Looks like that's the case at US 52 as well. Would not surprise me if Emerson sees it soon too. What an absolute waste of INDOT's time and money.

Edit: People are literally completely ignoring the Emerson Avenue ones. Saw nobody stop for a good 2-3 minutes!

[cjw2001]

INDOT just put out a press release on the stop bar issue.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDOT/bulletins/39c8223

[tosa]

Just spent a little time watching the Washington Street ramp at I465 traffic camera to see how the new ramp metering is doing.  Have to say the drivers are more clueless than I expected.  Some ignore the light and drive right through and some are stopping far in advance of the red light so that the signal doesn't detect their presence and doesn't give them a green.  Eventually the sensors further down the ramp detect the backup and let everyone through to clear the ramp.  Not a good start.

Milwaukee has had this in I-41 for over 20 years (when it was still called 894), and there were no issues with it. I just can't understand why people here are so dumb.

[cjw2001]

Just spent a little time watching the Washington Street ramp at I465 traffic camera to see how the new ramp metering is doing.  Have to say the drivers are more clueless than I expected.  Some ignore the light and drive right through and some are stopping far in advance of the red light so that the signal doesn't detect their presence and doesn't give them a green.  Eventually the sensors further down the ramp detect the backup and let everyone through to clear the ramp.  Not a good start.

Just watched a few minutes of the ramp meters being activated, and people are so dumb that it backed the traffic to the intersection... Kinda knew that it was going to be a s**t storm when activated!

Looks like that's the case at US 52 as well. Would not surprise me if Emerson sees it soon too. What an absolute waste of INDOT's time and money.

Edit: People are literally completely ignoring the Emerson Avenue ones. Saw nobody stop for a good 2-3 minutes!

Well the meters are not active 100% of the time.   Were you able to see the red light and people were ignoring or just saw the traffic not stopping?

[cjw2001]

Just spent a little time watching the Washington Street ramp at I465 traffic camera to see how the new ramp metering is doing.  Have to say the drivers are more clueless than I expected.  Some ignore the light and drive right through and some are stopping far in advance of the red light so that the signal doesn't detect their presence and doesn't give them a green.  Eventually the sensors further down the ramp detect the backup and let everyone through to clear the ramp.  Not a good start.

Milwaukee has had this in I-41 for over 20 years (when it was still called 894), and there were no issues with it. I just can't understand why people here are so dumb.

Think it is going a bit smoother today.  INDOT added some message boards telling drivers to pull to the line to activate the signal.

[silverback1065]

 

[kernals12]

Anyone else notice the pavement on I-70 south of Downtown Indy makes a "baaah" sound like a sheep?

[silverback1065]

Anyone else notice the pavement on I-70 south of Downtown Indy makes a "baaah" sound like a sheep?

Actually I call that section the "galloping horse" pavement    sounds like hooves hitting the pavement when I drive on it!   

[jnewkirk77]

There's about a half-mile stretch of I-69 southbound between I-64 and SR 57 that does this, too. When I was delivering for Amazon, I would go this way to head back to the warehouse, and the truck and its interior metal fixtures would get a resonance going that was almost musical.

[kernals12]

I don't know why, but I-70 from the Ohio border to Indy felt a lot shorter than from Indy to the Illinois border.

[tdindy88]

Well from the Marion County line to the Ohio line on I-70 is 62 miles. From the Marion County line to Illinois is 68 miles, so technically the Indy to Ohio stretch is shorter.

[westerninterloper]

I just drove I-70 across Indiana in both directions, and wow, that road is in bad shape almost its entire length. Especially in the right lanes, its clear the likely-original concrete is collapsing and needs a total rebuild.

Around mile 15 on eastbound 70, cars and semis hopped over one crevasse in the road, there are awful potholes, etc.

I don't know that any other road is in such bad shape in Indiana, though I drive from Detroit to Terre Haute, so I usually only am on I-69 and I-70. Ohio's interstates are much better maintained.

What's going on with that highway - is there a big plan to rebuild it soon? It needs significant attention.

[Interstate 69 Fan]

I just drove I-70 across Indiana in both directions, and wow, that road is in bad shape almost its entire length. Especially in the right lanes, its clear the likely-original concrete is collapsing and needs a total rebuild.

Around mile 15 on eastbound 70, cars and semis hopped over one crevasse in the road, there are awful potholes, etc.

I don't know that any other road is in such bad shape in Indiana, though I drive from Detroit to Terre Haute, so I usually only am on I-69 and I-70. Ohio's interstates are much better maintained.

What's going on with that highway - is there a big plan to rebuild it soon? It needs significant attention.

Most pavement state-wide is in a very bad shape, especially across Indianapolis. Potholes are everywhere, and there are so many trucks and traffic on the highways with Indiana's wild weather roller coasters that it's near impossible for INDOT to keep up with new ones. And with all the traffic, those potholes can grow in size and depth very quickly.

[cjw2001]

Meanwhile the next batch of pavement repairs on I 465 between I 70 and I 65 on the southeast side just announced.

[jnewkirk77]

I just drove I-70 across Indiana in both directions, and wow, that road is in bad shape almost its entire length. Especially in the right lanes, its clear the likely-original concrete is collapsing and needs a total rebuild.

Around mile 15 on eastbound 70, cars and semis hopped over one crevasse in the road, there are awful potholes, etc.

I don't know that any other road is in such bad shape in Indiana, though I drive from Detroit to Terre Haute, so I usually only am on I-69 and I-70. Ohio's interstates are much better maintained.

What's going on with that highway - is there a big plan to rebuild it soon? It needs significant attention.

Most pavement state-wide is in a very bad shape, especially across Indianapolis. Potholes are everywhere, and there are so many trucks and traffic on the highways with Indiana's wild weather roller coasters that it's near impossible for INDOT to keep up with new ones. And with all the traffic, those potholes can grow in size and depth very quickly.

Full-depth rebuilds aren't holding up, either. Come and drive SR 66 between Rockport and the SR 70 junction west of Troy - which was completely closed for 2 construction seasons less than 5 years ago. The base under the shoulders has failed and caused the outer part of both lanes to sink. Don't have to guess what that feels like in the rain, or honestly any other time. If I go to Tell City, I most often just drive up 231 and take 70 east. Much better road.

[silverback1065]

not sure I completely agree. 74, 69, and 65 (south of lafayette down to louisville) aren't in too bad of shape. 70 is a mess.

[westerninterloper]

I just drove I-70 across Indiana in both directions, and wow, that road is in bad shape almost its entire length. Especially in the right lanes, its clear the likely-original concrete is collapsing and needs a total rebuild.

Around mile 15 on eastbound 70, cars and semis hopped over one crevasse in the road, there are awful potholes, etc.

I don't know that any other road is in such bad shape in Indiana, though I drive from Detroit to Terre Haute, so I usually only am on I-69 and I-70. Ohio's interstates are much better maintained.

What's going on with that highway - is there a big plan to rebuild it soon? It needs significant attention.

Most pavement state-wide is in a very bad shape, especially across Indianapolis. Potholes are everywhere, and there are so many trucks and traffic on the highways with Indiana's wild weather roller coasters that it's near impossible for INDOT to keep up with new ones. And with all the traffic, those potholes can grow in size and depth very quickly.

Full-depth rebuilds aren't holding up, either. Come and drive SR 66 between Rockport and the SR 70 junction west of Troy - which was completely closed for 2 construction seasons less than 5 years ago. The base under the shoulders has failed and caused the outer part of both lanes to sink. Don't have to guess what that feels like in the rain, or honestly any other time. If I go to Tell City, I most often just drive up 231 and take 70 east. Much better road.

I wonder if this has to do with the "public-private" partnership approach under Governor Daniels - I recall that essentially fell apart with the second or third phase of the I-69 build, fly-by-night private companies would underbid established road construction companies, but not be able to handle the work. Perhaps the results of this approach are showing now across the state?

[silverback1065]

Looks like SR 301 no longer exists between SR 124 and US 224.

[74/171FAN]

Looks like SR 301 no longer exists between SR 124 and US 224.

The Travel Mapping Updates log shows it was removed from there on 11/11/2019.

[Great Lakes Roads]

I didn't know that the Wolcott Rest areas on I-65 has been permanently closed since November 2023...

Street view of them in October 2023: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6985806,-87.0644265,3a,75y,225.66h,91.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-V660o-eIA_s7aP9BxxzHA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

INDOT's website: https://www.in.gov/indot/resources/maps/welcome-centers-and-rest-areas/

Wolcott Rest Areas – I-65 NB/SB: Permanent closure as of November 2023

From their study: "Because the Wolcott Rest Areas fall only 36 miles from the Kankakee Rest Areas and 47 miles from the Lebanon Rest Areas, it is recommended that these properties be closed.  Additionally, Wolcott is not currently connected to water or sanitary services and will require significant investment to bring conditions of this site up to current operating standards.  This would reduce a total of 13 spaces northbound and 13 spaces southbound on this corridor.

To make up for the reduced truck parking spaces, the Kankakee Welcome Center (southbound) was reconstructed and officially opened to the public in October 2023.  Additional land was purchased to expand and reconfigure the site.  The site will increase its available truck parking spaces from 56 to approximately 150, resulting in an increase of 94 spaces. Additionally, due to high demand, the truck parking was increased at the Northbound and Southbound Lebanon Rest Area as well as the Kankakee Northbound Rest Area.  Future reconfiguration will expand the truck parking spaces to 75 at all three. To reduce the need for property acquisition, these locations will be transitioned into truck-parking-only facilities.  Current truck occupancy rates show these properties at or near capacity during peak hours."

[tdindy88]

So if you don't drive an 18-wheeler and you are driving north of Indianapolis you HAVE to get off an an interchange and navigate the traffic to some gas station or restaurant just to use the bathroom. Probably all in the hopes that you decide to buy something there anyway and spur the local economy. And all so INDOT has one less thing to maintain. They could add all these extra truck parking spots and still build a simple modern rest area facility along with them like they did at the Kankakee Welcome Center, they just don't want to. Because that would one more thing they would actually have to maintain. They don't care about the motoring public traveling across the Crossroads of America, they just want one less thing they have to spend money on.

[Life in Paradise]

So if you don't drive an 18-wheeler and you are driving north of Indianapolis you HAVE to get off an an interchange and navigate the traffic to some gas station or restaurant just to use the bathroom. Probably all in the hopes that you decide to buy something there anyway and spur the local economy. And all so INDOT has one less thing to maintain. They could add all these extra truck parking spots and still build a simple modern rest area facility along with them like they did at the Kankakee Welcome Center, they just don't want to. Because that would one more thing they would actually have to maintain. They don't care about the motoring public traveling across the Crossroads of America, they just want one less thing they have to spend money on.

I feel the same way and have shared my opinions with some of those mailers our reps and state senators send out requesting opinions (for all the good that really does). To the thoughts of rest areas only serving those passing through, I utilize them going from one place or another while I'm in state.  One other though, except for 24/7 truck stops, a lot of C-stores have rolled back their hours after Covid, so they are no longer 24/7, but may be closed 10p to 5a, so there are fewer options out there.

So INDOT can continue closing things that are useful, cutting roads from the system (and likewise dropping sections between two recognized roads without signage), and spending crazy amounts of money for pouring concrete for displaced left turns in Evansville that almost no one wants rather than correcting the problem that they made in the first place ($170 million on the project).