Update on I-69 Extension in Indiana

[Revive 755]

Long story short: Bloomington isn't signed, but neither is Lafayette, Terre Haute or Muncie, it is what it is I guess.

Maybe it's a faulty memory, but I seem to recall Terre Haute being signed with St. Louis for WB I-70 on SB I-465 many years ago - might have been before the new airport interchange was built on I-70.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Long story short: Bloomington isn't signed, but neither is Lafayette, Terre Haute or Muncie, it is what it is I guess.

Maybe it's a faulty memory, but I seem to recall Terre Haute being signed with St. Louis for WB I-70 on SB I-465 many years ago - might have been before the new airport interchange was built on I-70.

Yup, in both directions on I-465... removed in 2008 for the new airport access on I-70.

[cjw2001]

Based on what I can see on an INDOT traffic camera looks like northbound I69 traffic south of Epler got shifted back to normal lanes this weekend.  Still lane restrictions but a step forward.

[westerninterloper]

Long story short: Bloomington isn't signed, but neither is Lafayette, Terre Haute or Muncie, it is what it is I guess.

Maybe it's a faulty memory, but I seem to recall Terre Haute being signed with St. Louis for WB I-70 on SB I-465 many years ago - might have been before the new airport interchange was built on I-70.

I remember Terre Haute on the signs near the airport; wasnt Columbus IN a control city somewhere near downtown, or maybe on the southside? Or I am remembering the old Columbus OH signs...?

[TheCleanDemon]

Long story short: Bloomington isn't signed, but neither is Lafayette, Terre Haute or Muncie, it is what it is I guess.

Maybe it's a faulty memory, but I seem to recall Terre Haute being signed with St. Louis for WB I-70 on SB I-465 many years ago - might have been before the new airport interchange was built on I-70.

I remember Terre Haute on the signs near the airport; wasnt Columbus IN a control city somewhere near downtown, or maybe on the southside? Or I am remembering the old Columbus OH signs...?

"Columbus OH" is still listed as a control city for 70 east on some signs near downtown Indy even today, though most are Dayton. I don't remember Columbus IN being on any.

[silverback1065]

Long story short: Bloomington isn't signed, but neither is Lafayette, Terre Haute or Muncie, it is what it is I guess.

Maybe it's a faulty memory, but I seem to recall Terre Haute being signed with St. Louis for WB I-70 on SB I-465 many years ago - might have been before the new airport interchange was built on I-70.

I remember Terre Haute on the signs near the airport; wasnt Columbus IN a control city somewhere near downtown, or maybe on the southside? Or I am remembering the old Columbus OH signs...?

"Columbus OH" is still listed as a control city for 70 east on some signs near downtown Indy even today, though most are Dayton. I don't remember Columbus IN being on any.

Those signs days are numbered. That new project they announced to widen 65 from 70 to 465 on the Southside almost certainly will remove those signs.

[I-55]

Looking at traffic cameras this morning I saw from the Harding St exit that the BGS for Exit 5 is uncovered over the westbound lanes. Due to the low resolution and the cable blocking the camera you can't read anything on the sign but it is definitely uncovered now. They also appear to be laying the final approach concrete at the bridges near mile 3.

[Interstate 69 Fan]

Drove the I-465 corridor - virtually complete west of Exit 5, just the lanes closest to the center closed. I-69 is also signed entirely from Exit 5 to Exit 37, looks like new shields too for I-465 and I-74.

[IndyAgent]

its very odd to be checking this site for all these years and now its finished so Merry Christmas to everyone

[mgk920]

its very odd to be checking this site for all these years and now its finished so Merry Christmas to everyone

My #1 memory of this project are the news headlines about the concerns of that nudist resort SW of Bloomington during its planning phase (you can't make them up!).



Mike

[I-55]

I miss seeing the weekly ITB photo dumps on this project. Wish more projects had their own ITB to upload progress photos (so I don't spend 8 hours per day waiting for traffic cameras to point the direction I want  ). Thank you ITB for your contributions to this thread.

[Rick Powell]

I miss seeing the weekly ITB photo dumps on this project. Wish more projects had their own ITB to upload progress photos (so I don't spend 8 hours per day waiting for traffic cameras to point the direction I want  ). Thank you ITB for your contributions to this thread.

+1

I think ITB is going to follow the I-69 Ohio River Crossing to an extent, so at least there may be that. But there are few projects of the length and scale of I-69 Evansville to Indy on the horizon; maybe on a slightly smaller scale I-57 in Arkansas/Missouri, I-49 in Arkansas, and the piecing together of I-69 in Texas.

[Life in Paradise]

I miss seeing the weekly ITB photo dumps on this project. Wish more projects had their own ITB to upload progress photos (so I don't spend 8 hours per day waiting for traffic cameras to point the direction I want  ). Thank you ITB for your contributions to this thread.

+1

I think ITB is going to follow the I-69 Ohio River Crossing to an extent, so at least there may be that. But there are few projects of the length and scale of I-69 Evansville to Indy on the horizon; maybe on a slightly smaller scale I-57 in Arkansas/Missouri, I-49 in Arkansas, and the piecing together of I-69 in Texas.

There are a few of us down in the area that could assist in taking photos of the ORX for I-69 as well as the approach and the new terrain road near Henderson.  I just need to review my facts for dropping in photos into posts.

[wanderer2575]

I miss seeing the weekly ITB photo dumps on this project. Wish more projects had their own ITB to upload progress photos (so I don't spend 8 hours per day waiting for traffic cameras to point the direction I want  ). Thank you ITB for your contributions to this thread.

I always wondered how ITB managed to get so many photos within construction areas.  More often than not I would have had cops or construction foremen on my ass.

[ITB]

Couple of weeks ago I had to go to Greenwood to buy, of all things, a packet of Reese Minnesota Wild Rice. My plan was to make a traditional turkey and wild rice soup. Thing was no stores in Bloomington had wild rice available, none, not even at Kroger and their 120,000 sq ft behemoth on College Mall Road. But it was in stock at Meijer, and the closest store to Bloomington was in Greenwood. So I motored up.

Even though construction had wrapped, I figured I'd take the camera to snap off a few. It was a grayish day, overcast and chilly. Photos were take November 27, 2024.


In Johnson County, looking south toward the northbound bound lanes of I-69 from the Smith Valley Road overpass.


Smith Valley Road overpass; looking slightly northwest. The black letting on the large decorative planter reads in full 'Johnson County'.


The view looking north from the Smith Valley Road overpass. There's a wide raised sidewalk on the south side of the overpass, but  only a three or four foot wide shoulder-like space on the north. Still pretty safe, but I'm glad I'm wearing my yellow reflective safety vest.


Among the last items to be removed from the work zone are the orange barrels; looking southeast from the Smith Valley Road overpass.


Another view looking south from Smith Valley. In the background, the yellow cantilever signs on the southbound lanes indicate the dropping of the left lane, going from three lanes to two.


Abandoned Speedway service station on the northeast corner of Smith Valley Road and I-69. The state owns the property now, acquired during right-of-way acquisitions. Great location for either a gas station or fast food place, but it's probably not so simple, as there's probably a bevy of regulations involved being located so close to an interstate.


Another perspective looking south from the Smith Valley Road overpass. That 55 mph work zone sign is probably gone by now. From what I've witnessed, particularly south of the SR 144 interchange, anything less than 70 mph is just asking for trouble.


Looking east from near the Smith Valley Road overpass toward Smith Valley Road and the Smith Valley Road/Mullinex Road roundabout. In time, those weeds will crack the sidewalk. Most likely the maintenance and upkeep are the responsibility of Greenwood and Johnson County.


The Smith Valley Road eastern interchange teardrop roundabout and overpass; looking slightly northwest.


One more looking south from the Smith Valley overpass.

In regards to taking pictures in construction work zones, I've been doing it for several years now. It's a given that if crews are at work, I don't enter the work zone. But usually Sundays and holidays are days off, so that's when I usually show up. Typically beforehand, I've scoped out the site and determined where best to park and enter the work zone. I never park in the work zone or on private property. On site I wear boots and my yellow safety vest at all times. Usually it's very quiet, aside from traffic noise. I have a plan where I'm going to go, for example, there, there, and back. I don't dawdle. Get in, take some pictures, leave. Sometimes it has seemed like a job.

Have things happened that I wasn't expecting? Yes. One time near the Epler Avenue work zone I was on the future mainline snapping a couple of the bridge when I hear an engine start and the clank-clanking of heavy equipment. It's 6 pm on either a Saturday or a Sunday. WTF! A crew was beginning a shift. Quickly, I made my way off site, back to the overpass, which was open to traffic. A few years earlier, near the the SR 445 interchange in Greene County, I saw a woman driving a pickup in the work zone. She had a young kid in the truck, and he looked terrified, as the truck dipped and bounced around some very rough earthwork. She was lucky she didn't break an axle or get stuck.

Although I have managed to check out most places I have wanted to, regretfully, I never managed to get on the long flyover that carries I-69 north to I-465 west. First, I never get on an overpass until the deck and sidewalls have been poured and cured. Never. In the case of the flyover, things were happening so quickly. It seemed they did the deck pour, and, boom, in very short order they were getting ready to open the interchange. It was a beehive of activity, and I never saw an opening. I guess I could have inquired about permission and getting an escort, but the contractors had other matters to do deal with, like opening the interchange.

As for the work ongoing near Evansville, I may at some point head down for a look-see. It's two hours down and two hours back, so it's a good chunk of time. From the renderings, the new I-69/Veterans Memorial Pkwy interchange, which is now under construction, is going to be quite an interchange, perhaps even more complex than the just opened I-465 interchange. Also, because of the floodplain, I wonder how much viaduct will be built for the I-69 mainline. Altogether, it's a complex, fascinating project.

[Rothman]

Wait...you trespass into the work zones and justify that's okay because you do it safely?

[ITB]

Wait...you trespass into the work zones and justify that's okay because you do it safely?

I have yet to see or encounter a "No Trespassing" sign, or any similar sign. Usually, too, there are no fences until very late in the construction process. I have never hopped a fence.

[silverback1065]

it's not trespassing, it's public property.

[Interstate 69 Fan]

Another perspective looking south from the Smith Valley Road overpass. That 55 mph work zone sign is probably gone by now. From what I've witnessed, particularly south of the SR 144 interchange, anything less than 70 mph is just asking for trouble.

Still there as of December 15th. All 55mph signs still there from SR 144 to I-465. Nobody obeys the 55mph limit really up to Southport Road, as there's little to no construction. Most construction at this point on I-69 is limited just to the I-465 interchange, and on I-465 itself, particularly east of I-69 to I-65.

[Rothman]

Wait...you trespass into the work zones and justify that's okay because you do it safely?

I have yet to see or encounter a "No Trespassing" sign, or any similar sign. Usually, too, there are no fences until very late in the construction process. I have never hopped a fence.

Well, let's face it:  The chances of you being caught are very, very slim.

But, if you are, that defense will simply not hold up, nor will the silly idea that it's public property and therefore one is entitled to access hold up.

[silverback1065]

Wait...you trespass into the work zones and justify that's okay because you do it safely?

I have yet to see or encounter a "No Trespassing" sign, or any similar sign. Usually, too, there are no fences until very late in the construction process. I have never hopped a fence.

Well, let's face it:  The chances of you being caught are very, very slim.

But, if you are, that defense will simply not hold up, nor will the silly idea that it's public property and therefore one is entitled to access hold up.

it's not a silly idea. You bringing this up is.

[ITB]

Wait...you trespass into the work zones and justify that's okay because you do it safely?

I have yet to see or encounter a "No Trespassing" sign, or any similar sign. Usually, too, there are no fences until very late in the construction process. I have never hopped a fence.

Well, let's face it:  The chances of you being caught are very, very slim.

But, if you are, that defense will simply not hold up, nor will the silly idea that it's public property and therefore one is entitled to access hold up.

Never said I'd use either as a defense. If I were asked to leave a work zone at any time I would certainly do so without hesitation. In fact, about 10 years ago in the very early days of picture taking, I was once escorted off a site in southwest Monroe County. To be sure, I was in the wrong in that I got into the work zone somewhat close to where heavy equipment was operating. Looking back it was dumb of me. I wouldn't even think about doing something like that now. Another time, when INDOT was taking back control of Section 5, things were a little tense. Security zipped up in a pickup as I was meandering near the Sample Road interchange work zone; although all work had been paused for several days, I was asked to leave.

I'm not sneaking around, trying to get away with something. As I mentioned earlier, in many instances, this has felt like a job. Over time, on site security got used to seeing me, and I'd wave when I'd see them. They were watchful, respectful, but let me continue on. I'm sure if I clambered on an excavator or a roller, they'd be on me in minutes, very unhappy. All of this is pretty much in the past now. Picture taking is, for the most part, over. In the spring I might go down to Evansville to check things out, and, if I do, I'll surely bring the camera. We'll see.

Another perspective looking south from the Smith Valley Road overpass. That 55 mph work zone sign is probably gone by now. From what I've witnessed, particularly south of the SR 144 interchange, anything less than 70 mph is just asking for trouble.

Still there as of December 15th. All 55mph signs still there from SR 144 to I-465. Nobody obeys the 55mph limit really up to Southport Road, as there's little to no construction. Most construction at this point on I-69 is limited just to the I-465 interchange, and on I-465 itself, particularly east of I-69 to I-65.

Yup, the 55 mph sign is still up. I noticed it on the INDOT traffic cam for the Smith Valley Road interchange after I posted the pictures above. The sign will most likely remain until they finish striping the southbound lanes. Note how the northbound lanes are striped in both black and white, but the southbound lanes are just white. It'll have to wait until spring, but the striping sub-contractor will be coming back to finish up with the black markings.

[mgk920]

Here in Wisconsin, currently unused WisDOT ROW like that will often be posted with signs that say "STATE PROPERTY / NO TRESPASSING".

Mike

[seicer]

Wait...you trespass into the work zones and justify that's okay because you do it safely?

I have yet to see or encounter a "No Trespassing" sign, or any similar sign. Usually, too, there are no fences until very late in the construction process. I have never hopped a fence.

Correct; a prosecutor must find evidence that said person had willfully ignored a No Trespassing (or similar) notice. IN Code § 35-43-2-2 (2023) makes it clear the hurdle that is needed for private property. You won't find a prosecutor willing to apply a criminal statute against someone taking pictures and documenting highway construction.

I've photographed these types of sites for years and have never encountered an issue (professionally or personally). Having a drone also makes it easy to get certain shots that I would have otherwise not been able to obtain. Also, Rothman is not a lawyer nor a prosecutor, and I find it odd that after many years of ITB posting fantastic photographs and commentary, they chose to complain.

As always, thank you, ITB, for your contributions.

[Rothman]

Not complaining, just warning.  Like he said, he's been escorted off-site and security called on him before.  But, he obtained a level of understanding with the work crews.  So, I appreciated his last post.

I may not be a lawyer or prosecutor, but I do work in the thick of construction projects with operations and construction engineers.  Trespassing within work zones still does not sound like a great idea to me.  Keep in mind New York State tragically loses a transportation worker to work zone intrusions about once a year.  So, any legal ramifications are only one consideration when deciding to go behind cones, barrels, or even TCB.