Indiana Projects

Indiana has several projects on the drawing board to help meet transportation needs for the next 25 years. Many of the projects have been started already, and Indiana's aggressive approach to building roads put through a series of major projects to make key improvements to Indiana's road network. This effort was known as Major Moves. While this fixed many issues regarding freeways and state roads, it did not address the plethora of problems with local and county road systems. More on this in the Indiana Road Report.

Major Moves

Major Moves was a road building initiative started by Governor Mitch Daniels and Indiana's legislators that helped rebuild many of indianas aging main routes and pave the way for several key corrridor projects including the Fort to Port, Hoosier Heartland and the still to be completed I-69 extension. Major Moves 2020 is an extension of that program that seeks to expand upon that program and continue making upgrades to major highways in the major metro areas such as: Indy, Northwest Indiana, Fort Wayne, and around the state.

What paid for Major Moves, Indiana used the Lease of it's Toll Road to a private consortium to fund these needed improvements. and Eventually the construction of new toll roads will also be privatized as well to help raise the capital needed to fund additional road construction.

Additionally many projects still need to be completed such as statewide widening of several highways such as: I-65, I-70, I-80/90 (Indiana Toll Road) I-94 and I-69. It also included major improvements to highways all over the state. The key is how is the state going to pay for it. That creates some key funding challenges when road upkeep and infrastructure improvements are not built into the state's transportation budget. The Idea is being bandied about of raising the per gallon tax on gasoline (which was already recently increased) an additional ten cents ($0.10) per gallon and the coup de gras is that the state wants to place electronic tolling on virtually every “freeway” in the state, meaning there would be almost no freeways left in the state. More on this on the Indiana Tolling page

Projects

Interstate 65 Corridor

Interstate 65 statewide needs to be upgraded to a minimum 6 lane corridor with some sections being widened to 8 or more lanes depending on traffic volumes. Several sections of I-65 have already been widened including

• South of I-465 split to Southport Road (8-lanes)
• I-865 to Lebanon (SR-32 (6-lanes)
• Lafayette, SR-32 to Wabash River (6-lanes)
• Northwest Indiana from US-30 to SR-2 (6-lanes)
• Southern Indiana I-265 to Memphis (6-lanes)

This leaves several sections of Interstate 65 that are yet to be widened to 6 lanes.

North Lebanon Widening

This project will be completed in 2 phases. Phase 1 widen the Freeway from SR-32 to SR-47 from 4 to 6 lanes and remove the left exit off-ramp to Lafayette Ave in Lebanon. The project is expected to begin construction in 2021 and run through 2022. Phase 2 will replace the closed off-ramp with a new right exiting flyover ramp to Lafayette Ave. This project could tentatively enter construction in 2024. INDOT

Whitestown Interchanges

I-65/SR267 Interchange Modification

This project will reconstruct and modernize the SR-267 Interchange on I-65 in Whitestown. This interchange is currently poorly constructed and has a bad ramp layout which leads to traffic being misdirected. Plans for this proect have not been released and the project is expected to begin construction in 2020 per the current STIP. It is currently in the planning and environmental phase.

CR 500S (Anson) Interchange

This project will construct a new Interchange on I-65 in Whitestown at CR 500S approximately 1 mile north of the Whitestown parkway interchange. This interchange is currently poorly constructed and has a bad ramp layout which leads to traffic being misdirected. Plans for this proect have not been released and the project is expected to begin construction in 2020 per the current STIP. It is currently in the planning and environmental phase.

Whitestown Parkway and I-865 Separation Operational improvements

This project will correct the lane taper at the dual exit from I-65 northbound to Whitestown Parkway improving the geometry and allowing for safer exiting conditions from the #3 lane. Traffic in this lane will have the choice of continuing on I-65 or exiting to Whitestown parkway.

The project will also correct the lane configuration at the I-865 separation from southbound I-65. Currently the left (numbers 1 and 2) lanes continue on I-65 and the right (numbers 3 and 4) lanes exit to I-865 causing confusion and dangerous lane changes. This is primarily caused by traffic entering the freeway from Whitestown Parkway located about 1/2 mile to the north. the new configuration will reconfigure the number 3 lane to allow traffic to either remain on I-65 or exit to I-865. This will substantially improve safety, allow for safer weaving movements and reduce the number of semi-trucks crossing over the intersection gore illegally to stay on I-65 due to being in the incorrect lane. The number 1 (left) lane will end immediately south of the interchange.

Timeline and Construction

All of these projects will be completed as one major project and construction on the project has begun as od Summer 2020 and is expected to be completed in Fall of 2022

More information on all of these improvements can be found here

Columbus to Seymour Widening

This project will widen the Freeway from US-50 to SR-58 from 4 to 6 lanes and remove the left exit off-ramp to Lafayette Ave in Lebanon. The project is currently under construction and expected to be completed in 2021. The project will also rehabilitate pavement north of SR-58 to SR-46 near Columbus. INDOT

Lafayette Widening

This project will widen the Freeway from SR 38 to the Wabash River bridge from 4 to 6 lanes. This project has been completed. Construction of a new widened Wabash river bridge is still underway and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020. Once complete widening northward to White county is entirely possible but that has not been determined at this time.

Interstate 69 Corridor

Martinsville to Indianapolis

Will Construct a new 4 lane freeway/expressway within the existing State Road 37 alignment. A new system interchange will be constructed just west of the current SR-37/Harding Street interchange on I-465 in order to connect the new interstate to the existing freeway. Some new right of way will be required and some new frontage roads and access roads will be constructed inconjunction with the project. This project is in the planning/bidding and final engineering phase. Expect the segments near indianapolis including the new system interchange at I-465 to be completed last. Construction timeframes are not known at this time but construction is expected to begin in 2020. More Information

Ohio River Crossing

Will Construct new 4 lane toll bridge across the Ohio river from Evansville to Henderson KY - Possible KTC project. This project is being studied as 3 posible alternatives. Option 1 would replace the existing structure with a new 6-lane bridge located immediately to the west of the existing structure. The existing structure would be taken out of use. Option 2 also builds a new 4 lane bridge just to the west of the new structure. One span of the existing structure would remain open for maintaining one lane in each direction for local traffic. Option 3 a new structure located on a new alignment located to the east. As in option 2 one span of the existing structure would remain open for maintaining one lane in each direction for local traffic. More Information

US 31 Corridor

Marshall County J-Turns

US 31 J-Turns intersections to be added at SR-10/Dewey St and SR-110 in Marshall county.

Long Term

INDOT is continuing to move forward with its plans to Upgrade US 31 to full interstate freeway standards and construct bypasses around major cities (i.e. Kokomo). Construction to be completed in stages.

Sections already completed include

• Hamilton County I-465 to SR-38
• Komomo Bypass (2 miles south of SR-26 to 1 mile north of US-35)
• Plymouth to South Bend (US-30 to US-20)

Full grade separation and upgrade to freeway or Free-Flow expressway conditions of the remaining sections of US-31 continues along the corridor.

Hamilton/Tipton County Freeway

This project will widen and upgrade US-31 from SR-38 to SR-931 the southern end of the Kokomo Bypass Included in this project are complete grade separation of all roads with the use of cul-de-sacs, bridges, and interchanges along the corridor. More information

Interchanges to be improved will be

• SR-28 Roundabout Diamond - a partially folded diamond interchange. (already completed)
• 236th Street (former SR-47) interchange near Bakers Corner - to be constructed as a roundabout diamond interchange - Construction: Summer 2021 – Fall 2022 More Information
• 276th Street - roundabout diamond interchange - planned for possible FY-2022 construction
• Norfolk Southern RR Grade Separation at CR100 S in Tipton county - Construction: Winter 2021 – Fall 2022 More Information

Long term construction timelines for the entire section of the corridor are still tentative but likely could take the better part of 10 years to complete.

Miami County Free-Flow Expressway

Indot has determined that the lower cost option for upgrading would be to convert the remaining non-freeway sections to a free-flow condition instead. this means avoiding the higher cost of converting remaining sections to full interstate standards while still maintaining and promoting a limited access expressway with no traffic signals, however still allowing cross-traffic.

Ideally the plan would allow for complete free-flow conditions from Indianapolis to South Bend with no stops in between much sooner than if the roadway were to be upgraded to full interstate highway standards. This does not mean that the roadway will not eventually be upgraded to interstate standards at a later date if needed.

Interchange improvements needed to convert this section to free-flow include

• SR-16 - Reduced Conflict Intersection - Median U-turn (no left turns) More Information
• CR 100N - Reduced Conflict Intersection – Median U-Turn (North Leg Only) More Information
• Business 31 - More Information
• SR 218 North Junction - planned - improvements still to be determined More Information
• SR 218 South Junction - Reduced Conflict Intersection - Median U-turn (no left turns) More Information
• CR 800 S - Reduced Conflict Intersection - Median U-turn (no left turns) More Information
• CR 850 S - Reduced Conflict Intersection - Median U-turn (no left turns) More Information
• SR-18 Realignment and RIRO Right In/Right Out intersection - SR-18 would be relocated to the south via a new overpass and the current access will be indirect via access roads - More Information

While these alternatives are viable they do not adequately address the long term goals of the corridor. Perhaps more long term goals to upgrade the corridor to interstate standards will be viable at a later date. These improvements do not preclude that possibility. However these alternatives still do allow for turning traffic across mainline lanes and cross traffic at other intersections, and while safer than current conditions will eventually become a safety concern as traffic volumes are expected to continue to rise. Perhaps when they do, more aggressive upgrades will be considered, potentially including full freeway conditions.

US24 J-Turns

US 24 J-Turns in Cass County ... US 24 at Logansport Road ... US 24 at CR 600 East

Illiana Expressway

Construct Toll Road from I-65 to I-57 south of the Chicago Metro Area Project Status: Abandoned/Deferred - Construct the toll road as a possible ultimate bypass and relocation for I-80 south of Chicago