More US 31 upgrades between Indy and South Bend

[ITB]

Last week, sadly, there was another crash on US 31 that resulted in a fatality. This time it happened at the SR 16 intersection in Miami County.

The upgrades to US 31 can't come soon enough.

[The Ghostbuster]

Are there any plans for improvements in that area of US 31?

[ITB]

Are there any plans for improvements in that area of US 31?

The ProPEL US 31 North report carried forward four upgrade options for the SR 16 intersection:

• Interchange (Freeway, Free-Flow)
• Interchange (Expressway Lite, Free-Flow)
• RCI Intersection aka J-Turns (Arterial, Free-Flow)
• Directional Intersection (RIRO + Left Turns for US 31) (Arterial, Free-Flow)

Also carried forward was the No Build option, which would leave the intersection as it is today, a two-way stop controlled crossing.

Since the ProPEL US 31 reports were only finalized last October, it's going to take some time for any potential upgrades to work their way through the system. While INDOT's long-standing stated goal is to make US 31 a free-flowing facility, the department has yet to give any indication what upgrade packages might be favored. However, the access control work underway in Hamilton County and the proposed freeway-like upgrades in and around Argos strongly suggest that INDOT will likely lean toward the Expressway Lite packages, which mostly feature interchange and overpass upgrades. As such, the chances are good the SR 16 intersection will be upgraded to an interchange. The only real question that remains is when.

Here's the US 31/SR 16 intersection:


Google; Google Maps, Streetview
View looking north. Drivers really need to be alert at crossings like this, and look not once but twice, to ensure they can safely cross.


Google; Google Maps, Streetview
Different perspective looking northeast.

Edit: Added the Freeway package to the list of options; unfortunately I overlooked it.

[I-39]

This whole thread makes me laugh. Just gradually upgrade the entire corridor to freeway as money allows, just like US 41 was in the 1990s in Wisconsin. Not that hard.

[ITB]

This whole thread makes me laugh.

What exactly are you finding that's funny?

Just gradually upgrade the entire corridor to freeway as money allows, just like US 41 was in the 1990s in Wisconsin. Not that hard.

That's exactly what is happening. The process is underway.

[I-39]

This whole thread makes me laugh.

What exactly are you finding that's funny?

Just gradually upgrade the entire corridor to freeway as money allows, just like US 41 was in the 1990s in Wisconsin. Not that hard.

That's exactly what is happening. The process is underway.

What makes me laugh is this conversation about 31 upgrades has been talked about for more than a decade and they are still debating on things like "expressway lite", j-turns or merely free flow.

The whole corridor needs to be full freeway. I don't see that is a done deal and that's just laughable. Every other corner of the state has been linked to Indy via an Interstate, the least InDOT could do is make 31 from South Bend to Indy full freeway to call it even. It makes no sense to have some sections freeway, but others "expressway lite" or free flow with j turns.

[sprjus4]

I'm not too familiar with the project, but from what it seems, that is the long term goal. Unfortunately, INDOT doesn't just have a billion dollars laying around that they can upgrade it in one swoop.

It seems they are doing it in phases, and the R-CUTS / J-Turns are interim safety measures, with long term full upgrades in the books.

If the money was there, they'd do it all now. But it's not.

[I-39]

I'm not too familiar with the project, but from what it seems, that is the long term goal. Unfortunately, INDOT doesn't just have a billion dollars laying around that they can upgrade it in one swoop.

It seems they are doing it in phases, and the R-CUTS / J-Turns are interim safety measures, with long term full upgrades in the books.

If the money was there, they'd do it all now. But it's not.

Obviously, they can't do it all at once.

What I'm saying is when they go to upgrade a section, the only upgrades they should be considering are freeway ones. The fact they are still considering half baked "free flow" or "expressway lite" upgrades tells me they aren't serious about making the corridor a full freeway.

[JREwing78]

I'm not too familiar with the project, but from what it seems, that is the long term goal. Unfortunately, INDOT doesn't just have a billion dollars laying around that they can upgrade it in one swoop.

It seems they are doing it in phases, and the R-CUTS / J-Turns are interim safety measures, with long term full upgrades in the books.

If the money was there, they'd do it all now. But it's not.

Obviously, they can't do it all at once.

What I'm saying is when they go to upgrade a section, the only upgrades they should be considering are freeway ones. The fact they are still considering half baked "free flow" or "expressway lite" upgrades tells me they aren't serious about making the corridor a full freeway.

They did that with the intersection with State Road 10 near Argos. Then, in the span of 3 months, at least 4 separate T-bone accidents happened. 

Is your response to tell residents to STFU and wait 2 more years for their interchange because they can't afford to change it twice?

[ITB]

I'm not too familiar with the project, but from what it seems, that is the long term goal. Unfortunately, INDOT doesn't just have a billion dollars laying around that they can upgrade it in one swoop.

It seems they are doing it in phases, and the R-CUTS / J-Turns are interim safety measures, with long term full upgrades in the books.

If the money was there, they'd do it all now. But it's not.

Obviously, they can't do it all at once.

What I'm saying is when they go to upgrade a section, the only upgrades they should be considering are freeway ones. The fact they are still considering half baked "free flow" or "expressway lite" upgrades tells me they aren't serious about making the corridor a full freeway.

To more fully understand how INDOT is proceeding with US 31, please read or reread the posts on Page 35. I'm tempted to post it all again here, but don't see the purpose in doing so.

Over the last 5–8 years, give or take a year or two, INDOT has embarked on and completed several notable projects along the US 31 corridor. For example, the interchanges at 236th and 276th streets in Hamilton County, as well as two major railroad grade separation projects. That's in addition to other projects completed earlier.

It was just this past October that the ProPEL US 31 studies were finalized. These provide a flexible blueprint on how INDOT might proceed in upgrading the corridor. At this time, plans are to have proposed projects proceed through the standard steps as other projects. It's going to take some time.

Any proposed projects will likely adhere closely to the Expressway Lite packages. Why? Well, it's rather straightforward. The Expressway Lite packages are a sort-of compromise, not quite a full freeway, but somewhat close. The major difference between the two is that Expressway Lite will allow RIRO access to the highway at certain spots, such as select country roads and driveways.

With the Expressway Lite options, the anxiety and anger of residents who fear losing access to US 31 is largely mitigated. In time, however, after the interchanges and overpasses have been built, and people adjust, INDOT can come back in and begin the process of access control, the steps necessary to upgrade to freeway standards. That's what's happening now in lower Hamilton County.

This incremental upgrade process is probably the best way to proceed. No massive billion dollar project that causes budget legislators to pee in their pants and residents to scream bloody murder that their beloved country road will no longer provide access to the highway. It shouldn't be a surprise if this template receives a hard look by other DOTs around the country. It's flexible, and, more importantly, doable.

Make no mistake, in time, US 31 between Carmel and South Bend will become a freeway. INDOT will not say this, of course, but the blueprint seems rather clear.

[silverback1065]

they're debating it so hard because 31 is not very important when you have to maintain 65, 70, 80, 94, and 69 at the same time.

[wanderer2575]

Coincidentally, the US-31 freeway between Niles and Berrien Springs in Michigan was originally built with at-grade intersections.  The overpasses and interchanges came later as more funding became available.

Michigan also has been making similar changes to intersections along US-127 between Ithaca and St. Johns (installing J-turns and eliminating direct crossroad traffic) as safety improvements until the mythical day when funding is available to build this missing freeway segment.

[JREwing78]

Michigan also has been making similar changes to intersections along US-127 between Ithaca and St. Johns (installing J-turns and eliminating direct crossroad traffic) as safety improvements until the mythical day when funding is available to build this missing freeway segment.

They're also ballsy enough to post it for a 65 mph speed limit.

Granted, there's only ONE stoplight - at a little-used railroad crossing. 

[monty]

Finishing up the concrete repairs on the New-ish Kokomo section. Per INDOT:
The U.S. 31 northbound ramp to State Road 931 is scheduled to close on or after Friday, April 10, for concrete patching and bridge joint repairs.

One lane of U.S. 31 northbound will remain closed from C.R. 550 N. through the S.R. 931 interchange. All lanes and ramps are expected to remain closed through the end of May.

Learn more: bit.ly/3PS5TSC

[monty]

INDOT is also currently modifying the eastern roundabout at the top of the IN 28 interchange. The factory entrance evoked much confusion with many motorists, especially trucks, mistakenly thinking the factory lane was a down ramp to the freeway.

[The_Ginger]

INDOT is also currently modifying the eastern roundabout at the top of the IN 28 interchange. The factory entrance evoked much confusion with many motorists, especially trucks, mistakenly thinking the factory lane was a down ramp to the freeway.

I've seen that before on Google Maps/Street View and was also quite confused.

[The Ghostbuster]

They should have left the entrance to the parking lot at the old location: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2753252,-86.1209408,3a,75y,4.68h,86.76t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1srDMoyxZMA0aJ5P1OhSxkpg!2e0!5s20130901T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D3.2425248362288386%26panoid%3DrDMoyxZMA0aJ5P1OhSxkpg%26yaw%3D4.6842419055831215!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

[monty]

The employee entrance to the plant will now be coming in from CR 560W.

[cjw2001]

Phase 3 of the Level Up 31 project will begin on or after May 11.  The next phase shuts down both of the ramps from I-465 to US 31 to allow the ramps and bridges to be expanded to two lanes each.  Traffic will be detoured via a temporarily configuration utilizing what were the local ramps to Meridian Street.  Southbound traffic from US 31 to Meridian will be closed during this period since those lanes will be used for northbound US 31 detour traffic.  More details at https://levelup31.com/