More US 31 upgrades between Indy and South Bend

[silverback1065]

it must be pretty bad to have them close it down completely!

[PurdueBill]

The road opened in 2015 and was already having pavement issues within two years of opening. This example (GSV) shows just how bad the roadway has deteriorated.

I'm not sure if the northbound lanes are that bad, but there were issues when I last drove over it. It might not require the level of intervention that the southbound lanes require.

This pavement was designed to last 50 years without the need for replacement. It's not even lasted 10 without a major rehab.

Looking at the 2015 street view when new and the 2018 street view, it's amazing how bad it got after only 3 years!  Big cracked section right there that fast. 
Reminds me of how after the new SR 25 opened south of Logansport, it only took a couple years for the pavement to fail around Clymers.  INDOT said a "non-conforming mix" was to blame for it having to be all repaved after less than 3 years.   

[Great Lakes Roads]

The road opened in 2015 2013 and was already having pavement issues within two years of opening. This example (GSV) shows just how bad the roadway has deteriorated.

I'm not sure if the northbound lanes are that bad, but there were issues when I last drove over it. It might not require the level of intervention that the southbound lanes require.

This pavement was designed to last 50 years without the need for replacement. It's not even lasted 10 without a major rehab.

The bypass around Kokomo actually opened to traffic in November 2013.

[ysuindy]

I guess for someone from Indy like me going to several Notre Dame football games this year it's better for southbound to be closed when I'm coming back thru around 930 pm than having northbound closed going thru on Saturday morning.

But we have to assume there will be a northbound closure in 2026?

[silverback1065]

The road opened in 2015 and was already having pavement issues within two years of opening. This example (GSV) shows just how bad the roadway has deteriorated.

I'm not sure if the northbound lanes are that bad, but there were issues when I last drove over it. It might not require the level of intervention that the southbound lanes require.

This pavement was designed to last 50 years without the need for replacement. It's not even lasted 10 without a major rehab.

Looking at the 2015 street view when new and the 2018 street view, it's amazing how bad it got after only 3 years!  Big cracked section right there that fast. 
Reminds me of how after the new SR 25 opened south of Logansport, it only took a couple years for the pavement to fail around Clymers.  INDOT said a "non-conforming mix" was to blame for it having to be all repaved after less than 3 years.   

i remember this being a big story when that was announced. if i remember correctly it involved litigation! they checked mixes all around the state that came from the same supplier i think

[mukade]

The road opened in 2015 2013 and was already having pavement issues within two years of opening. This example (GSV) shows just how bad the roadway has deteriorated.

I'm not sure if the northbound lanes are that bad, but there were issues when I last drove over it. It might not require the level of intervention that the southbound lanes require.

This pavement was designed to last 50 years without the need for replacement. It's not even lasted 10 without a major rehab.

The bypass around Kokomo actually opened to traffic in November 2013.

I lived in the Kokomo area when the new bypass was being built and opened. The worst section of the highway suffering from the failing concrete pavement is from the southern junction with SR 931 up to the railroad overpass just south of SR 26. Beyond that, there are smaller spots that have failed.

The unusual thing about the part that has the big problems is that the pavement was laid 1-2 months before the highway opened. To my untrained eye, it seemed rushed. I have to find my construction photographs to look at the precise dates, but the rest of the pavement on all other sections had been in place at least several months before opening. The earliest section completed (Kokomo Creek to just south of SR 22/US 35) was done as part of the 2008 Economic Stimulus plan as it was "shovel ready". I think the condition of that pavement is still pretty good.

The ramps from US 31 to SR 22/US 35 also experienced very noticeable transverse cracking during the first couple of years.

If remember correctly, there were three prime contractors for the various sections. I don't know what the problem that caused the failure was or even which contractor might have taken responsibility, but I think the concrete that failed came from that portable concrete plant they put up at the SR22/US 35 interchange. At least one contractor just used local suppliers like IMI.

Unrelated to the pavement problems, only the Boulevard/CR 100S interchange has lighting. In response to a query I made about the lack of lighting on the US 31 bypass, INDOT said this in early 2024:

...a pre-existing project was planned to install lighting at key interchanges along US 31 in Kokomo, including SR 931 South,  CR 100 S, US 35, and SR 931 North. The construction of this lighting will take place some time in the next year or so.

[monty]

Lighting is being slowly installed along the Kokomo US 31 corridor. Key word: slowly

Foundations were set some time ago, followed by the pole assemblies that have been on the ground for a good while. Some of the lighting towers have been erected, with street light style lamps at merge points. I don't think any have been lit yet.

[The Ghostbuster]

What is the reason for such a snail's pace for installing lighting?

[Henry]

Lighting is being slowly installed along the Kokomo US 31 corridor. Key word: slowly

Foundations were set some time ago, followed by the pole assemblies that have been on the ground for a good while. Some of the lighting towers have been erected, with street light style lamps at merge points. I don't think any have been lit yet.

I assume the lights will be at all exits along the Kokomo bypass?

[Great Lakes Roads]

Lighting is being slowly installed along the Kokomo US 31 corridor. Key word: slowly

Foundations were set some time ago, followed by the pole assemblies that have been on the ground for a good while. Some of the lighting towers have been erected, with street light style lamps at merge points. I don't think any have been lit yet.

I assume the lights will be at all exits along the Kokomo bypass?

Yes.

[monty]

Time to re- work the Kokomo northbound US 31 lanes. Southbound side is nearly complete. (INDOT)
Beginning on or after Wednesday, October 8, US. 31 northbound will close between the State Road 931 interchanges on the north and south sides of Kokomo. Work on the project is expected to be complete by the middle of November. Southbound U.S. 31 will reopen in advance of this northbound closure. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

During the closure, drivers should use the official detour of S.R. 931.

Learn more: bit.ly/4gCe4eV

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/local-business-voices-safety-concerns-as-indot-plans-u-s-31-improvements

Jordan Yaney, a spokesperson for INDOT, said the decision came down to cost and safety.

"It's about $10 million for an overpass, and it's about $50 million for a full interchange," Yaney said. *"So it's just not feasible to put a full interchange at every single intersection on 31 in that stretch."

"We want to have the least amount of disruption, but our number one priority is always going to be safety," Yaney said.

"This is just a corridor where we're seeing too many crashes for the current configuration, so we had to do something."

The intersection at 256th Street (right where Wilson Farm Market is at) will close for good sometime next year (right after they open the overpass on 266th Street).

[ysuindy]

Time to re- work the Kokomo northbound US 31 lanes. Southbound side is nearly complete. (INDOT)
Beginning on or after Wednesday, October 8, US. 31 northbound will close between the State Road 931 interchanges on the north and south sides of Kokomo. Work on the project is expected to be complete by the middle of November. Southbound U.S. 31 will reopen in advance of this northbound closure. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

During the closure, drivers should use the official detour of S.R. 931.

Learn more: bit.ly/4gCe4eV

Well that answers my question from earlier.

Going to last few Notre Dame home games just had some time added to my trip. Saturday mornings on 931 will be miserable.

[Great Lakes Roads]

"Level Up 31" project to begin construction on or after October 6th. Phase 1 of the project involves three ramp closures.

1. Closure of the southbound U.S. 31 ramp to 106th Street through late-December
2. Closure of eastbound 106th Street at U.S. 31 through late-December
3. Closure on the eastbound I-465 ramp to southbound Meridian Street through mid-December

Website: https://levelup31.com/

[RoadMaster09]

How much would it cost for a complete upgrade to an Interstate-standard freeway from Indianapolis to South Bend, considering what has already been done?

[The Ghostbuster]

Whatever it costs, it should be pursued (minus the Interstate designation). I think US 31 should be completely freeway from Indianapolis, Indiana to Holland, Michigan (The Zeeland-to-Nunica segment can remain part of M-231).

[silverback1065]

probably not going to happen, I think INDOT will do occasional overpasses and J-turns with interchanges at the state roads.

[I-55]

probably not going to happen, I think INDOT will do occasional overpasses and J-turns with interchanges at the state roads.

My theory for the next few decades is this:

The PEL studies will ultimately lead INDOT towards what you described, creating free flow routes on 30/31 with interchanges at state routes. Based off what I've seen and heard, US 31 will be a freeway from I-465 to the north end of SR 931. There is also the 8 mile stretch in Marshall Co near Argos that INDOT plans to upgrade to a freeway.

Once this happens, I think the routes will slowly morph into freeways (US 30 from Plymouth to I-69 and US 31 from I-465 to SR 931 / US 24 and from CR 700 N to US 20). For US 30, I think that in order to make 30 free flowing INDOT will need to make freeway level improvements through Columbia City and Warsaw, as well as interchanges at SR 5 and SR 13. The need to provide access elsewhere doesn't exist, and freeway upgrades are already proposed from I-69 to Whitley Co.

For US 31, I see that there will initially be 3 pieces of freeway (Plymouth-SB, S Marshall Co, I-465 to Kokomo). I think the Marshall Co segments will eventually be joined to create one continuous route from CR 700 N to US 20 (35 miles), and then there will be the Indy-Kokomo Segment (46 miles). The remaining segment in between is 45 miles and is really a coin flip for what INDOT is going to choose there. Personally, I don't think the state needs to provide as much access to the local roads as they probably intend to, and theoretically could upgrade 4-6 intersections to interchanges, but most likely this will stay as is with some more J-turns. I do think that upgrading to freeway from Kokomo to US 24 is likely to happen with the higher traffic and presence of the air base.

[ITB]

How much would it cost for a complete upgrade to an Interstate-standard freeway from Indianapolis to South Bend, considering what has already been done?

In today's dollars, the cost would probably range from $500 million to a billion. Ten years from now, it will probably be upwards of $1.5 billion or more.

To upgrade to the Expressway Lite package, as identified in the ProPEL studies, 10 or 11 interchanges and 11 overpasses will be needed. If built now, each interchange would pencil in at around $30-35 million; the overpasses $10-15 each. Expressway Lite creates a free flowing facility, but maintains meaningful access to US 31 via county roads and driveways. Almost all of this maintained access will be converted to Right-In/Right-Out only.

Recommended Expressway Lite interchange locations are as follows:

• Division Road — Tipton County
• State Road 18 — Miami County
• W 800 S — Bunker Hill, Miami County
• State Road 218/W Broadway Street — Bunker Hill
• State Road 218 — Bunker Hill
• Business 31 — Peru, Miami County
• Business 24/Logansport Road — Peru
• CR 400 N — Mexico, Miami County
• State Road 16 — Denver, Miami County
• CR 650 S/CR 1350 N —Nyona Lake, Miami County
• Olsen Road — Fulton County

Note: In the Bunker Hill/Grissom area, three locations — W 800 S, SR 28/Broadway, and SR 218 — are suggested for possible interchanges. In all likelihood, only two will be ultimately selected. That will shrink the number of possible interchanges from 11 to 10.

Recommended Expressway Lite overpasses are:

• W 500 S — Tipton County
• W 330 N — Tipton
• E 600 N — Howard County
• W 1050 S — Miami County
• W 400 S — Miami
• CR 550 N/Mexico Road — Miami
• CR 1000 N — Miami
• CR 500 S/CR 1550 N — Miami
• CR 150 S — Fulton County
• Old US Hwy 31/Southway 31 — Rochester, Fulton County
• CR 100 N/6th Street — Rochester, Fulton County

From all indications, INDOT intends to take an incremental approach to the upgrade of US 31. This will involve a series a mid-sized contracts, rather than one or two hefty ones. By proceeding in this fashion, the upgrade becomes much more fiscally manageable, particularly if the projects are spread out over a number of years. For example, if INDOT budgets $50 million a year they should be able to knock out the above listed 10 interchanges and 11 overpasses in 10 to 12 years. At the same time, RIRO work will be necessary at the points where access from county roads and driveways to US 31 will be maintained, adding to project costs.

Bear in mind, that while building interchanges and overpasses is a major step, it will not make US 31 a freeway. To upgrade to that standard, all those modified RIRO access points allowed for in Expressway Lite will need to be eliminated. Some of those future closures might proceed without issues, others, however, may prove more problematic. In some cases, frontage roads might have to be constructed. A big plus of the incremental approach is that it gives the local residents time to adjust to change. While some may be inconvenienced to an extent, the response is likely to be more measured and accepting.

Undoubtedly, in time, US 31 from Indy to South Bend will be transitioned to a freeway. To be sure, it's going to take some time, probably 15 years or so, but it's going to happen. Building 10 interchanges and 11 overpasses over 10-15 years is very doable. After that, the next logical step is access control, the transition to a freeway. Because a good number of houses with driveway access along the highway are aging older farmhouses, the owners are well aware future potential buyers are few and far between. When INDOT moves forward with access control and offers are proffered, affected residents will probably be more amenable than not. This will, assuredly, facilitate the upgrade to a freeway facility.

Speaking of access control, it's meaningful to mention that the US 31 Marshall-Fulton access control project is rapidly moving forward. This will involve, in addition to access control elements, the building of two interchanges — one at SR 10 at Argos, the other at SR 110, plus an overpass at CR 700. Contract letting is now just two years away.

In terms of importance of major forthcoming INDOT projects, they could be ranked as follows:

• I-69 Ohio River bridge
• US 30 upgrades
• US 31 upgrades
• Added lanes and road reconstruction, I-65 and I-70
• Mid-States Corridor

The number one project is, of course, the new I-69 bridge over the Ohio River. Who can argue with that?

Next are upgrades to US 30 in Kosciusko and Whitley counties. Ever heard of Zimmer Biomet? It's a Fortune 500 company located in Warsaw. They design and manufacture orthopedic medical devices, like replacement hip and knee joints. Needless to say it's one of Indiana's most important companies, and when Zimmer Biomet speaks, Indiana pols and leaders tend to listen. And, right now, Zimmer Biomet want US 30 upgraded. So, um, it's a priority. Moreover, it's just common sense to upgrade the US 30 corridor, being as it is heavily traveled and light-laden.

Upgrades to US 31 come next because improving the highway enhances the connection between Indianapolis and Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Grand Rapids region is rapidly growing. As of 2020, it's MSA is the 49th largest in the U.S., with a population of 1,150,015. In comparison, the Louisville MSA ranks 43rd with a population of 1,362,180. Investing in improvements to US 31 north of Indy will almost certainly lead to increased business and residential development along the corridor. Earlier this month, for example, the city of Rochester announced the extension of utilities to build a new business park.

Adding lanes to I-65 and I-70 is another INDOT priority. At this time, two projects are underway to do just that — Revive I-70, in Richmond, and Safer I-65, in Clark and Scott counties. INDOT wants to do more, a lot more, but they're running into strong financial headwinds. Until the funding issue becomes more clear, it's going to be a little quiet in regard to interstate widening projects. But don't be surprised if a couple of significant projects crop up between now and 2030.

And, finally, the Mid-States Corridor Project. This is something that is sorely needed is Dubois County. For one reason or another, the city of Jasper never got a US 231 bypass. Same goes for Huntingburg. It's time. The longer this is pushed off, the more expensive it will become. How this project will be funded remains to be seen.

Note: minor edits for readability
 

[NWI_Irish96]

I will repeat what I'm sure you're all tired of hearing from me by now: money should be going to 6-laning at least some of I-65 between West Lafayette and Lowell before it goes to upgrading any other highways in the state.