Interstate 65 Indiana

[Alex]

I-65 project worthy of praise, criticism

The city of Crown Point deserves credit for orchestrating the speedy design and groundbreaking of Interstate 65's newest interchange, now under construction at 109th Avenue.

The Indiana Department of Transportation agreed to let the city take the lead on the $8.2 million project, speeding up its completion by about six years. It's expected to be ready for traffic by next June.

INDOT had so many other engineering design projects to oversee, it probably wouldn't have completed the 109th Avenue interchange until 2015 or later without the accelerated schedule. It rarely makes exceptions, but it granted Crown Point permission to oversee the design work.

The diamond-shaped interchange will include traffic signals for motorists to access or exit the ramps

[Alex]

What was originally displayed in the blank space on the Exit 113 overhead? U.S. 31?

https://www.aaroads.com/midwest/indiana065/i-065_sb_exit_113_01.jpg

[Brandon]

What was originally displayed in the white space on the Exit 113 overhead? U.S. 31?

https://www.aaroads.com/midwest/indiana065/i-065_sb_exit_113_01.jpg

US-31 and Indiana 37.

[Alex]

Thanks Brandon. I just noticed that the split of Interstates 65/70 on the north end of their overlap is signed as Exit 112A. Was Exit 112B slated for unconstructed Interstate 69 north?

[Brandon]

Thanks Brandon. I just noticed that the split of Interstates 65/70 on the north end of their overlap is signed as Exit 112A. Was Exit 112B slated for unconstructed Interstate 69 north?

IIRC, yes.  I-69 was supposed to go all the way into downtown Indianapolis from I-465.  It is also suspected that I-74 was supposed to do likewise.

[Revive 755]

Thanks Brandon. I just noticed that the split of Interstates 65/70 on the north end of their overlap is signed as Exit 112A. Was Exit 112B slated for unconstructed Interstate 69 north?

IIRC, yes.  I-69 was supposed to go all the way into downtown Indianapolis from I-465.  It is also suspected that I-74 was supposed to do likewise.

There's evidence that at freeway was to extended inwards towards downtown Indianapolis from the current I-69 and connect to the northern I-65/I-70 intersection.  But since there was also a canceled freeway in the 30th Street corridor between I-65 and the I-69 downtown connection, a dead freeway along the Harding corridor, and a dead freeway extended west from the I-65 curve at MLK St/11th Street interchange, I'm not sure which one I-69 would have followed.

As for I-74 inside I-465, I haven't seen any maps myself showing any extensions inside the beltway, but I have yet to read or even find all of the transportation studies for the Indianapolis area.

[Alex]

Thanks Brandon. I just noticed that the split of Interstates 65/70 on the north end of their overlap is signed as Exit 112A. Was Exit 112B slated for unconstructed Interstate 69 north?

IIRC, yes.  I-69 was supposed to go all the way into downtown Indianapolis from I-465.  It is also suspected that I-74 was supposed to do likewise.

There's evidence that at freeway was to extended inwards towards downtown Indianapolis from the current I-69 and connect to the northern I-65/I-70 intersection.  But since there was also a canceled freeway in the 30th Street corridor between I-65 and the I-69 downtown connection, a dead freeway along the Harding corridor, and a dead freeway extended west from the I-65 curve at MLK St/11th Street interchange, I'm not sure which one I-69 would have followed.

As for I-74 inside I-465, I haven't seen any maps myself showing any extensions inside the beltway, but I have yet to read or even find all of the transportation studies for the Indianapolis area.

The 1962 Rand McNally atlas shows it proposed southward from Binford Boulevard to the Exit 112 interchange of Interstates 65 & 70 on the Indianapolis inset.

[Brandon]

The 1962 Rand McNally atlas shows it proposed southward from Binford Boulevard to the Exit 112 interchange of Interstates 65 & 70 on the Indianapolis inset.

From what I can gather, based off maps of Indianapolis from the 1960s and 1970s, is that Indianapolis was supposed to have a downtown circulator consisting of I-65 (west and south), I-70 (east and south), I-69, and I-74.  My best guess is that I-74 was supposed to go on the north and east circulator sections.  As for I-69, it looks like it was supposed to just end at the NE corner of the circulator.

[02 Park Ave]

The I-65 was closed today around Lafayette due to an accident.

[NWI_Irish96]

The I-65 was closed today around Lafayette due to an accident.

I-65 is getting closed somewhere almost every day due to an accident.  This morning it was NB near Seymour.  Until the entire interstate gets 6-laned, there are going to be more and more of these.

[02 Park Ave]

I now have learned that it has been closed since last Wednesday due to concern about a bridge's safety near Lafayette.

[tdindy88]

I would gauge that the current construction to expand the highway to six lanes, especially around Lafayette and Johnson County, along with the other projects down by Seymour and Columbus is part of the reason for the rise in accidents along that stretch of highway. We are improving the highway but it is coming at a cause. Granted this is probably not news in a lot of places.

[TravelingBethelite]

I now have learned that it has been closed since last Wednesday due to concern about a bridge's safety near Lafayette.

I think I read another topic here that said INDOT put some stabilizers on that bridge so traffic could move along. I am mistaken in that regard (my bad  )

From Fox 59:
http://fox59.com/2015/08/10/indot-to-answer-questions-about-i-65-northbound-bridge-closure-in-lafayette/

[2trailertrucker]

I 65 is closed indefinitely :

No timeline for I-65 bridge fix in Lafayette

http://www.wthr.com/story/29751515/no-timeline-for-i-65-bridge-fix-in-lafayette

[iBallasticwolf2]

I 65 is closed indefinitely :

No timeline for I-65 bridge fix in Lafayette

http://www.wthr.com/story/29751515/no-timeline-for-i-65-bridge-fix-in-lafayette

Couldn't a crossover be made so that each direction of traffic can use the bridge?

[2trailertrucker]

I 65 is closed indefinitely :

No timeline for I-65 bridge fix in Lafayette

http://www.wthr.com/story/29751515/no-timeline-for-i-65-bridge-fix-in-lafayette

Couldn't a crossover be made so that each direction of traffic can use the bridge?

The bridge is in the middle of a construction zone. Everything has been torn up
And graded.

[ysuindy]

I 65 is closed indefinitely :

No timeline for I-65 bridge fix in Lafayette

http://www.wthr.com/story/29751515/no-timeline-for-i-65-bridge-fix-in-lafayette

Couldn't a crossover be made so that each direction of traffic can use the bridge?

The bridge is in the middle of a construction zone. Everything has been torn up
And graded.

While I can't find the article now, I did read earlier today that INDOT indicated a crossover was not possible as the south bound bridge was not wide enough to handle the barrier between lanes if they went to two way traffic and felt it was too dangerous to do without the barrier, even with a 35 mph speed limit.

[02 Park Ave]

Why are over thirty miles closed on the northboun I-65 when the problem only involves one bridge spanning a creek?

[jnewkirk77]

Why are over thirty miles closed on the northboun I-65 when the problem only involves one bridge spanning a creek?

Having driven this road and U.S. 52 for many years, it's easiest to have traffic follow 52 where it splits off just NW of Lebanon.  It's not perfect (Lord knows all I hear from my relatives is what a cluster____ traffic is right now), but it's the best alternative they have going as of now.

[JMoses24]

Why are over thirty miles closed on the northboun I-65 when the problem only involves one bridge spanning a creek?

Quite simply they don't want to send traffic down routes like IN 38 or IN 25, which probably cannot handle the volume of traffic that would take I-65 through Lafayette. Of course, in so doing, they're diverting traffic pretty much straight into downtown on US 231.

[tdindy88]

Not really, US 231 misses Downtown Lafayette nowadays with the new four-lane bypass that begins on the far south side of Lafayette and passes to the west of West Lafayette. 231 actually hasn't gone through Downtown Lafayette for years now and now misses all of West Lafayette too. That bypass I believe is another reason for this particular detour.

[realjd]

I'm in Lafayette for work. Leaving the airport today I was greeted with multiple VMS signs saying "I65 closed north of Indy. Chicago traffic follow I74". Not knowing where exactly it was closed I opted for I74 to US231 and ended up in a 30 minute traffic jam at the traffic light in a podunk little town (Romney maybe?). It sucked. There were tons of trucks who had the same idea. There were also detour signs directing trucks headed to Chicago to go to Peoria to catch the interstate up there, and others directing trucks to take a state highway near the IL border as a detour.

[mukade]

Not really, US 231 misses Downtown Lafayette nowadays with the new four-lane bypass that begins on the far south side of Lafayette and passes to the west of West Lafayette. 231 actually hasn't gone through Downtown Lafayette for years now and now misses all of West Lafayette too. That bypass I believe is another reason for this particular detour.

I am pretty sure most all of the US 231 bypass is now part of West Lafayette. I suspect the Meijer and Menards are as well, and all of Purdue University is.

I'm in Lafayette for work. Leaving the airport today I was greeted with multiple VMS signs saying "I65 closed north of Indy. Chicago traffic follow I74". Not knowing where exactly it was closed I opted for I74 to US231 and ended up in a 30 minute traffic jam at the traffic light in a podunk little town (Romney maybe?). It sucked. There were tons of trucks who had the same idea. There were also detour signs directing trucks headed to Chicago to go to Peoria to catch the interstate up there, and others directing trucks to take a state highway near the IL border as a detour.

If you take I-74, you should go to SR 63, not US 231. There would be no point to using US 231 because it is part of the official detour that is only two lanes. That is precisely what you want to avoid. INDOT has a map that shows two other alternatives. In that map, I would have thought that SR 63 and US 41 to SR 14 instead of US 24 would be better. The US 31 would make a lot of sense except that 1) part of US 31 is two lanes due to the freeway upgrade in Hamillton County and 2) US 31 to US 30 to SR 49 to I-90 or I-94 would be safer and faster than what is shown, I would think.

[NWI_Irish96]

I have a cousin who commutes from near Indy to Lafayette every day.  With 52 and 231 getting so backed up with truck traffic, he's been taking 39 from Lebanon to Frankfort and then 38 from Frankfort to Lafayette.  It's only 2 lanes with several towns to go through, but very few trucks going this way (so far at least) so it keeps moving.

[Rushmeister]

I have a cousin who commutes from near Indy to Lafayette every day.  With 52 and 231 getting so backed up with truck traffic, he's been taking 39 from Lebanon to Frankfort and then 38 from Frankfort to Lafayette.  It's only 2 lanes with several towns to go through, but very few trucks going this way (so far at least) so it keeps moving.

Yes. You nailed it.  I live in Lebanon and that's the primary route I've advised friends and family to use when traveling from Indy to Lafayette.