I-465 Eastside and I-69 Northeast

[wh15395]

I have two questions about Indianapolis highway projects so I decided to just post them under the same thread.

1.) Does anyone know what work is being done on I-465 North of I-70 on the Eastside? I'm not exactly sure what could have needed to be reconstructed there since it's relatively new.

2.) I read on the Urbanophile blog that the I-69 portion of the Northeast Corridor project called "Operation Indy Commute" seems to have been cancelled. Does anyone have any information on this. Here is a link to the article: http://www.urbanophile.com/2011/06/24/did-indot-cancel-the-remainder-of-the-northeast-corridor-project/

[tdindy88]

To answer your first question....I'm not sure. I thought that it was just some work along the side of the highway, there are no plans to widen it or rebuild it that I know, unless something happened to the road that I wasn't aware of. As for the second question, the 465/69 Northeast project, which includes the rebuilding of 465 from Meridian Street to Fall Creek does include redesigning the interchange with I-69 to an express/local format with the 82nd Street interchange. That interchange as it is, is in dire need of rebuilding, I'd doubt that INDOT would cancel that part. The 465/69 project has included 69 up to 96th Street since the beginning of the project and that hasn't changed. The Operation Indy Commute project is for the part of I-69 around the 96th Street and 116th Street/SR 37 exits, so I think the two projects are seperate. The timing of the projects is a bit confusing but again I don't think I-465/I-69 is being cancelled.

[mukade]

I have two questions about Indianapolis highway projects so I decided to just post them under the same thread.

1.) Does anyone know what work is being done on I-465 North of I-70 on the Eastside? I'm not exactly sure what could have needed to be reconstructed there since it's relatively new.

2.) I read on the Urbanophile blog that the I-69 portion of the Northeast Corridor project called "Operation Indy Commute" seems to have been cancelled. Does anyone have any information on this. Here is a link to the article: http://www.urbanophile.com/2011/06/24/did-indot-cancel-the-remainder-of-the-northeast-corridor-project/

Thats funny because Indy Commute has a link on the main INDOT main page. It goes from I-465 to 116th Street and is to be done by 2015. I know they pushed back projects like the Allisonville Road because of the Super Bowl, and starting anything on I-69 in Hamilton County now would be unwise. Just look at how much of I-465 is under construction now. I'd like to see all that done before they start yet another mess (and I-69 will be as big a mess as US 31). BTW, the Allisonville Road project will be let this fall.

[mukade]

Also on INDOT web site http://www.in.gov/indot/div/lettings/18MonthsConstLettingDetailsMM_Ext.pdf shows contract for "Added Travel Lanes: I-69 improvements from I-465 to 116th and SR 37 interchanges" being let on 3/7/2012. Isn't that plus the new I-465/I-69 interchange the "Northeast Corridor"?

[wh15395]

Also on INDOT web site http://www.in.gov/indot/div/lettings/18MonthsConstLettingDetailsMM_Ext.pdf shows contract for "Added Travel Lanes: I-69 improvements from I-465 to 116th and SR 37 interchanges" being let on 3/7/2012. Isn't that plus the new I-465/I-69 interchange the "Northeast Corridor"?

I suppose it could be, but it could also be for the southbound lanes since they currently have only 3 lanes, while northbound has 4. No matter what, other than needing 4 southbound lanes past 116th street, my biggest complaint about I-69 is still beyond this point. I feel that other than the interchange at I-465 and possibly at S.R. 37, its biggest problem is from S.R. 37 to Anderson. It seems that during rush hour, 3 lanes in each direction would be entirely justified. At the very least this needs to be done up to Exit 10 in Noblesville.

[mukade]

I suppose it could be, but it could also be for the southbound lanes since they currently have only 3 lanes, while northbound has 4. No matter what, other than needing 4 southbound lanes past 116th street, my biggest complaint about I-69 is still beyond this point. I feel that other than the interchange at I-465 and possibly at S.R. 37, its biggest problem is from S.R. 37 to Anderson. It seems that during rush hour, 3 lanes in each direction would be entirely justified. At the very least this needs to be done up to Exit 10 in Noblesville.

Yes, you are absolutely right. And there needs to be an interchange between SR 37 and SR 238, IMO. That would take some pressure off the SR 37/116th St. interchange.

BTW, just to make it clear from the original post, the I-465/I-69 interchange is part of the 465/69 Northeast project, not IndyCommute. That project is active as evidenced by the I-465/Keystone interchange is being done now, and the I-465/Allisonville contract that will be let this fall - plus all those other overpass projects are currently underway. I don't see anywhere that the revamped I-465/I-69 interchange has been descoped, but I agree that it doesn't appear in the "schedule" link either.

[tvketchum]

INDOT is replacing the 75th st bridge over 465, and the replacement will be wider for 75th, as well as wider for 465. The bridge will be part of a detour when the reconstruction of the I 69 I 465 interhange begins.

[tdindy88]

Just finished reading an article from the Indianapolis Business Journal talking about the I-69, SR 37, and 116th Street interchange and what the proposed changes are. Unfortunently, you have to either buy the paper yourself or pay for their suscribption service online, but here are the main details:

-More or less, all squeezing and shifting from one lane to another will be stopped, northbound I-69 traffic will have straight access to SR 37 without having to deal with 116th St. to 69 north traffic via a new two-lane bridge over 69.
-116th St. to 69 north traffic will have their own lane that will go straight to 69.
-Traffic going from 69 south to 116th Street will have its own ramp straight to 116th St. without having to deal with southbound SR 37 traffic.
-Likewise, southbound SR 37 will go over the 69 south to 116th St. ramp via a bridge and go straight to I-69 South. (It did not mention how many lanes this ramp will be)
-The project is being put on fast track and it is planned on being let next Spring.
-Also, in 2013, a contract should be let that would add a lane of travel in the southbound emergency shoulder from the exit down to 82nd Street (similar as the northbound lanes) for a total of eight lanes from 465 to 116th Street. No word from the article from the actual lane configurations of how this will work but I suppose we will see more updated plans later.

As for the 465/69 interchange. The article states that this interchange is given a higher priority than the 465/69 interchange and that that interchange depends on the release of the federal budget in September. Then they will decide what to do about that interchange. I don't think that means its been cancelled, but perhaps put on hold, although I personally feel that that interchange is more important that the 116th St/SR 37 one, but INDOT doesn't agree. I guess they feel that Northsiders should at least go throught one bottleneck to make their commute feel worthwhile.

[mukade]

Just finished reading an article from the Indianapolis Business Journal talking about the I-69, SR 37, and 116th Street interchange and what the proposed changes are. Unfortunently, you have to either buy the paper yourself or pay for their suscribption service online, but here are the main details:

-More or less, all squeezing and shifting from one lane to another will be stopped, northbound I-69 traffic will have straight access to SR 37 without having to deal with 116th St. to 69 north traffic via a new two-lane bridge over 69.
-116th St. to 69 north traffic will have their own lane that will go straight to 69.
-Traffic going from 69 south to 116th Street will have its own ramp straight to 116th St. without having to deal with southbound SR 37 traffic.
-Likewise, southbound SR 37 will go over the 69 south to 116th St. ramp via a bridge and go straight to I-69 South. (It did not mention how many lanes this ramp will be)
-The project is being put on fast track and it is planned on being let next Spring.
-Also, in 2013, a contract should be let that would add a lane of travel in the southbound emergency shoulder from the exit down to 82nd Street (similar as the northbound lanes) for a total of eight lanes from 465 to 116th Street. No word from the article from the actual lane configurations of how this will work but I suppose we will see more updated plans later.

As for the 465/69 interchange. The article states that this interchange is given a higher priority than the 465/69 interchange and that that interchange depends on the release of the federal budget in September. Then they will decide what to do about that interchange. I don't think that means its been cancelled, but perhaps put on hold, although I personally feel that that interchange is more important that the 116th St/SR 37 one, but INDOT doesn't agree. I guess they feel that Northsiders should at least go throught one bottleneck to make their commute feel worthwhile.

Well, INDOT did spend money to improve the I-465/I-69 interchange in the last two years. While I agree it still needs work, I can't understand the constant re-doing of the same interchanges on the I-69 corridor. Personally, I'd rather see the US 31 Hamilton County work take precedence over that hugely expensive single interchage project.

[tdindy88]

Bumping this thread because I felt this was the best place to mention this, but the Indianapolis Star today had an article about new work to be done along Allisonville Road at the interchange with Interstate 465 and with 96th Street. As some of you may know, the interchange with I-465 is being rebuilt into a SPUI, which I think will fit in very nicely up there, but it will involve closing the bridge for 110 days starting after the Indy 500 in May.

In addition, as it has been pointed out on this board, but confirmed in this news article, the intersection with Allisonville and 96th Street is being rebuilt to include Michigan lefts around. There is a diagram on the page that shows how this will work. I'm not sure IMO if this is the best thing for this location (with Michigan Lefts I'm more familar with Telegraph Road and other divided highways) but maybe they know what they are doing and it will work. At any case, I don't travel much through here so I won't have to worry about it. Fishers in addition is also updating the stoplights along Allisonville Road, 96th Street and 116th Street (which should conicide with the new work on Exit 5 off of Interstate 69 that should begin this year.)

Finally, work on the new roundabout interchange at 96th Street and Keystone Parkway at the Carmel border is being postponed until 2013 so that it doesn't conicide with the aforementioned projects. And below is a link to the articles:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120227/LOCAL1802/202270331/Congestion-before-relief-2-Allisonville-Road-projects?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com

[tvketchum]

To answer your first question....I'm not sure. I thought that it was just some work along the side of the highway, there are no plans to widen it or rebuild it that I know, unless something happened to the road that I wasn't aware of. As for the second question, the 465/69 Northeast project, which includes the rebuilding of 465 from Meridian Street to Fall Creek does include redesigning the interchange with I-69 to an express/local format with the 82nd Street interchange. That interchange as it is, is in dire need of rebuilding, I'd doubt that INDOT would cancel that part. The 465/69 project has included 69 up to 96th Street since the beginning of the project and that hasn't changed. The Operation Indy Commute project is for the part of I-69 around the 96th Street and 116th Street/SR 37 exits, so I think the two projects are seperate. The timing of the projects is a bit confusing but again I don't think I-465/I-69 is being cancelled.

Prior to the Superbowl, the Indy Star report about highway work to be completed indicated Indot was completing the sound barrier work and replacing a temporary retaining wall with a permanent structure just north of the I 70 interchange on I 465

[tdindy88]

Just an add-on to the last post, work along I-465 north of I-70 is finished with all work completed.

[tdindy88]

Came across this last night, INDOT updated their Operation Indy Commute page to mention more about the forthcoming construction at Exit 5 and I-69 that is supposed to start this month evidently. Haven't heard much about it from the media, but this site does explain the construction a lot more.

http://www.in.gov/indot/3071.htm

Althought it isn't technically with this topic, the 465/65 Southside page did get some coverage by WTHR last night, it is the second component of the Operation Indy Commute plan with plans to start in 2013.

http://www.wthr.com/story/17324697/indot-plans-2013-project-to-revamp-indianapolis-south-side-interchange

[wh15395]

Came across this last night, INDOT updated their Operation Indy Commute page to mention more about the forthcoming construction at Exit 5 and I-69 that is supposed to start this month evidently. Haven't heard much about it from the media, but this site does explain the construction a lot more.

http://www.in.gov/indot/3071.htm

Althought it isn't technically with this topic, the 465/65 Southside page did get some coverage by WTHR last night, it is the second component of the Operation Indy Commute plan with plans to start in 2013.

http://www.wthr.com/story/17324697/indot-plans-2013-project-to-revamp-indianapolis-south-side-interchange

These are all good fixes, but too bad the I-69 plans don't involve expanding each side of the road to 3 lanes up to Exit 10.

[mukade]

I-69 commute 'terrible' as work starts on Fishers interchange (Indy Star)

[mukade]

The Allisonville Road bridge over I-465 will reopen at the end of September, about two weeks later than originally planned

This project really messes with the traffic in the primary retail area of Indy so two extra weeks is significant. The new interchange is a SPUI.

Allisonville Road bridge to reopen at month's end (Indy Star)

[tdindy88]

The Allisonville Road bridge is open.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120924/NEWS/120925001/Allisonville-Road-bridge-reopens-late-Monday

The interchange itself still has some work, but should be wrapped up in a month. An article I saw on the news today, WISH-TV I believe, also mentiones some work on I-465 around Allisonville Road and mentioned the left shoulder being paved over, is this part of any widening attempts in that area from Allisonville to I-69?

[mukade]

The Allisonville Road bridge is open.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120924/NEWS/120925001/Allisonville-Road-bridge-reopens-late-Monday

The interchange itself still has some work, but should be wrapped up in a month. An article I saw on the news today, WISH-TV I believe, also mentiones some work on I-465 around Allisonville Road and mentioned the left shoulder being paved over, is this part of any widening attempts in that area from Allisonville to I-69?

I would think the widening would happen when the I-465/I-69 interchange is rebuilt, but that is speculation.

[wh15395]

The Allisonville Road bridge is open.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120924/NEWS/120925001/Allisonville-Road-bridge-reopens-late-Monday

The interchange itself still has some work, but should be wrapped up in a month. An article I saw on the news today, WISH-TV I believe, also mentiones some work on I-465 around Allisonville Road and mentioned the left shoulder being paved over, is this part of any widening attempts in that area from Allisonville to I-69?

I think I heard that they are just smoothing out the pavement on I-465 westbound between I-69 and Allisonville in the left lane. It has been rough for years.