More US 31 upgrades between Indy and South Bend

[ITB]

Note that Hamilton County is making a major investment to extend utilities to the area, so that may have some impact on growth.

https://readthereporter.com/hamilton-county-announces-transformational-infrastructure-project-for-bakers-corner-area/

https://www.wishtv.com/photo-gallery/hamilton-county-breaks-ground-on-regional-utility-district-in-bakers-corner-indiana/

Nice find! Big news. This investment in sewer and water infrastructure will prime the areas around the US 31 corridor in northern Hamilton County for development, both residential and commercial. Land values along the corridor just went up. Farmers who haven't sold out yet will probably be taking a harder look at the offers that will soon be forthcoming. At the same time, they'll likely be a little anxious when they open their jacked up property tax bills. And that might be one more reason to sell. Change in underway.

[ITB]

From the INDOT 18-Month Construction Letting List, as of October 15, 2023.





Two new bridges, one interchange modification, and "access control" work, all under the umbrella of one contract scheduled to be let in May of 2024.

Please note, for readability, I switched the pages around. The top image is of Page 132.

[The Ghostbuster]

Are they planning to convert the section of US 31 between the new 276th St. interchange and the IN 28 interchange to freeway standards in the near future? Or the section between the IN 28 and IN 931 interchanges?

[silverback1065]

Are they planning to convert the section of US 31 between the new 276th St. interchange and the IN 28 interchange to freeway standards in the near future? Or the section between the IN 28 and IN 931 interchanges?

in short yes

[I-55]

Are they planning to convert the section of US 31 between the new 276th St. interchange and the IN 28 interchange to freeway standards in the near future? Or the section between the IN 28 and IN 931 interchanges?

in short yes

Presumably the access control portion of the contract is most likely the removal of property access to US-31, and probably all access in Hamilton County with the overpasses that are to be built. Tipton County probably keeps intersections for longer but I'd expect some overpasses and/or interchange work after this round of construction

[ITB]

Yesterday afternoon in Miami County, there was a crash at a US 31 intersection that resulted in a fatality. It happened at State Road 218 in Bunker Hill and involved an elderly driver was trying to cross the northbound lanes to go south on US 31. Looking at Google Streetview, it shows the intersection as being only partially controlled, featuring a stop sign and solid red lights for 218 and yellow warning lights on 31.

This sad incident confirms, once again, the need to upgrade US 31 to a limited access highway, the sooner the better. 

[silverback1065]

Yesterday afternoon in Miami County, there was a crash at a US 31 intersection that resulted in a fatality. It happened at State Road 218 in Bunker Hill and involved an elderly driver was trying to cross the northbound lanes to go south on US 31. Looking at Google Streetview, it shows the intersection as being only partially controlled, featuring a stop sign and solid red lights for 218 and yellow warning lights on 31.

This sad incident confirms, once again, the need to upgrade US 31 to a limited access highway, the sooner the better.

that's terrible. i think INDOT really wants to get rid of most flashers in the state that aren't 4 way stops to avoid things like this happening. explains the amount of J-Turns they are doing.

[The Ghostbuster]

Due to its proximity to Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, I would recommend cul-du-sacing the southern US 31/IN 218 intersection. 218 would then be rerouted northward along a new roadway paralleling US 31 until shifting west to meet 31 at an interchange where the existing US 31/IN 218 northern junction is. Hoosier Blvd. could be grade-separated at US 31 and extended east to terminate at the new IN 218 alignment, which would allow access to the base.

[NWI_Irish96]

Due to its proximity to Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, I would recommend cul-du-sacing the southern US 31/IN 218 intersection. 218 would then be rerouted northward along a new roadway paralleling US 31 until shifting west to meet 31 at an interchange where the existing US 31/IN 218 northern junction is. Hoosier Blvd. could be grade-separated at US 31 and extended east to terminate at the new IN 218 alignment, which would allow access to the base.

You've got Pipe Creek immediately east of that northern intersection.

A better idea might be to reroute both legs of 218 and have them meet just north of the Ace Hardware.Or reconfigure the Grissom interchange to connect to both legs of 218.

[Moose]

Are they planning to convert the section of US 31 between the new 276th St. interchange and the IN 28 interchange to freeway standards in the near future? Or the section between the IN 28 and IN 931 interchanges?

in short yes

Presumably the access control portion of the contract is most likely the removal of property access to US-31, and probably all access in Hamilton County with the overpasses that are to be built. Tipton County probably keeps intersections for longer but I'd expect some overpasses and/or interchange work after this round of construction

From what I see there are two access control projects that overlap.

One from US 31 and 106 to SR 26. This stretches from way down in Carmel to up in Kokomo (Coverall project for removal of the intersections and cul de sacing anything not getting a bridge/interchange)
Another from near Route 38 to near 236th? (This looks like a separate project for frontage/access roads for people not on a cross street in my opinion)

It looks like the Farm at 256th will get worked around. Too bad, they offered you an olive branch, and now INDOT will spite you for being a pain.

[monty]

US 31 up to 236th Street will be a freeway by the close of 2025. Perhaps even sooner. The remainder of the "incomplete" corridor (sans Kokomo and north of US 30) are undergoing the PEL study, which should be complete next summer. That study should (hopefully) guide the final round of corridor improvements. Most involved will agree that there won't be any stoplights on the highway upon completion of the corridor. What we don't know is exactly to what degree work will be done to modify the highway intersections and other significant trafficked county crossing roads and the timeline of work. This corridor has been a high priority of the current governor and his predecessor administrations for about 19 years. The US 31 Coalition has existed since 2000.

https://www.in.gov/indot/about-indot/central-office/welcome-to-the-greenfield-district/us-31-limited-access-upgrade-from-sr-38-to-286th-street/

https://propelus31.com/

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=us%2031%20coalition&tbm=&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5

[TempoNick]

How realistic is anything being done with US 30? From my standpoint, living here in Columbus (Ohio), I think it would be a great alternate route to Chicagoland. Us 30 is a pretty good road into Indiana, but a little bit less of a nice Road between the state line and Fort Wayne. West of Fort Wayne, the alignment isn't horrible, but it doesn't look like they put a lot of money into road repairs. The last time I traveled through there, which was within the last 5 years, it seemed like a very bumpy drive.

US 30 to me looks a lot like many spots along US 40, like it's been forgotten.

[silverback1065]

How realistic is anything being done with US 30? From my standpoint, living here in Columbus (Ohio), I think it would be a great alternate route to Chicagoland. Us 30 is a pretty good road into Indiana, but a little bit less of a nice Road between the state line and Fort Wayne. West of Fort Wayne, the alignment isn't horrible, but it doesn't look like they put a lot of money into road repairs. The last time I traveled through there, which was within the last 5 years, it seemed like a very bumpy drive.

US 30 to me looks a lot like many spots along US 40, like it's been forgotten.

in my opinion they will do nothing major to 30. probably just a ton of j-turns.

[JREwing78]

How realistic is anything being done with US 30?

There's studies happening for US 30: https://propelus30.com/

It's certainly a long-term goal for InDOT. US 31 just happens to be farther along in its process

[I-55]

How realistic is anything being done with US 30?

There's studies happening for US 30: https://propelus30.com/

It's certainly a long-term goal for InDOT. US 31 just happens to be farther along in its process

US 31 rightfully is getting all of the attention, as it is significantly more traveled and if they wait longer there will be too much development around the corridor. US 30 is seeing minor spot improvements at egregious conflict zones but not to the same degree as US-31. INDOT seems to have made it clear that their primary investments after I-69 and US 31 will be I-465 and I-65, with a little bit of I-70. US 30 is far down the priority list, not to mention there haven't been many major projects in the northeast Indiana region in the last decade or so.

[TempoNick]

How realistic is anything being done with US 30?

There's studies happening for US 30: https://propelus30.com/

It's certainly a long-term goal for InDOT. US 31 just happens to be farther along in its process

US 31 rightfully is getting all of the attention, as it is significantly more traveled and if they wait longer there will be too much development around the corridor. US 30 is seeing minor spot improvements at egregious conflict zones but not to the same degree as US-31. INDOT seems to have made it clear that their primary investments after I-69 and US 31 will be I-465 and I-65, with a little bit of I-70. US 30 is far down the priority list, not to mention there haven't been many major projects in the northeast Indiana region in the last decade or so.

Speaking of I-70, that's definitely a candidate for three-laneing between the Ohio state line and Indianapolis. I'd personally like to see them upgrade US 30. Between Columbus and Fort Wayne there are a couple of gaps on US 23 and US 33 I would like to see filled. It just makes sense to carrying along with US 30, at least until it meets US 31. It might also make sense for Fort Wayne to have a good feed into I-75 via US 33, but I think US 30 should be adequate.

[ITB]

Here's a link to INDOT's Major Project Delivery's 2022 Industry Day Presentation. This presentation, uploaded in PDF, gives a concise overview of the big projects currently underway and what's on the horizon. Of interest, in addition to Revive I-70, the project to upgrade and add travel lanes to I-70 in Wayne County, was a project to add travels lanes to I-70 between SR 267 and SR 39 in Hendricks County. That project, according to the presentation, was given a contract bid number, R-43714. However, searching INDOT's 18 month letting list as well as Google provides no further information about the project. It seems it's been put on the back burner.

I have been unable to find the 2023 Industry Day Presentation, so for now, the 2022 overview will have to suffice. 

As for possible US 30 upgrades, the results of the ProPEL 30 study will shed some light on what direction INDOT plans to take for the corridor.

[NWI_Irish96]

If I were to prioritize projects:

1 - Six laning the rest of I-65 between IN 47 and IN 2
2 - Six laning the rest of I-70 between IN 9 and US 35
3 - Upgrading US 30 to remove stoplights

[silverback1065]

  apparently INDOT is unaware that they gave up 267 last year!

[74/171FAN]

I believe that I already posted this sign on I-70 WB in the Erroneous Road Signs Thread.  (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10218771878248557&set=a.10218771940010101)

[TempoNick]

I like those blue signs in Indiana. I wish Ohio would go to that color. I don't know why, I just like the look. I typically don't like blue signs though but it has a good look there.

[Revive 755]

Here's a link to INDOT's Major Project Delivery's 2022 Industry Day Presentation. This presentation, uploaded in PDF, gives a concise overview of the big projects currently underway and what's on the horizon.

So according to Page 27 of 56, INDOT is already needing to modify US 31 between I-465 and 116th Street?  Didn't think it had been that long since INDOT upgraded that stretch.

[Moose]

If I were to prioritize projects:

1 - Six laning the rest of I-65 between IN 47 and IN 2
2 - Six laning the rest of I-70 between IN 9 and US 35
3 - Upgrading US 30 to remove stoplights

In a perfect world US-30 would become part of an extended I-76 from its end in Ohio.

But one reason you haven't and won't see a lot of East West Northern Indiana road projects, is there is still a binding no compete clause in the Indiana Toll Road sale. Indiana can't go and upgrade a competing road. I can't remember though if that would include US-30 or not.

[NWI_Irish96]

If I were to prioritize projects:

1 - Six laning the rest of I-65 between IN 47 and IN 2
2 - Six laning the rest of I-70 between IN 9 and US 35
3 - Upgrading US 30 to remove stoplights

In a perfect world US-30 would become part of an extended I-76 from its end in Ohio.

But one reason you haven't and won't see a lot of East West Northern Indiana road projects, is there is still a binding no compete clause in the Indiana Toll Road sale. Indiana can't go and upgrade a competing road. I can't remember though if that would include US-30 or not.

No E-W road within a certain distance of the Toll Road can be converted to limited access. I don't know the exact distance, but I know that 30 gets progressively farther away from the ITR as it moves east, so there's some point where that restriction goes away. I think at least the section from Plymouth to Fort Wayne is fair game.

[Moose]

If I were to prioritize projects:

1 - Six laning the rest of I-65 between IN 47 and IN 2
2 - Six laning the rest of I-70 between IN 9 and US 35
3 - Upgrading US 30 to remove stoplights

In a perfect world US-30 would become part of an extended I-76 from its end in Ohio.

But one reason you haven't and won't see a lot of East West Northern Indiana road projects, is there is still a binding no compete clause in the Indiana Toll Road sale. Indiana can't go and upgrade a competing road. I can't remember though if that would include US-30 or not.

No E-W road within a certain distance of the Toll Road can be converted to limited access. I don't know the exact distance, but I know that 30 gets progressively farther away from the ITR as it moves east, so there's some point where that restriction goes away. I think at least the section from Plymouth to Fort Wayne is fair game.

Well in a future potential possible fictional world, such an I-76 road would stay just south of that barrier and connect to the south end of Illinois 394. Or connect end on to the potential Illiana Freeway that was proposed.

I can only imagine that even being out of range of the tollway, such an I-76 would absolutely crater toll road car counts