INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 26, 2015)– A major road project will cause traffic delays for drivers going through downtown Indianapolis on I-65.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) closed the ramp from I-65 northbound to I-70 westbound at the south split. The ramp will be closed for two months.
The added traffic could stretch out to the 465 loop. This project will have a major impact on south side commuters.
This closure is part of INDOT’s project to refurbish a pair of 40-year-old bridges that span over Morris and Prospect streets.
“We found if we were to keep it open to one lane, and built the bridge one half at a time it would back up the ramp traffic and basically block I-65, causing traffic to bail off on some of the nearby exits and create gridlock across the whole system,” said Will Wingfield with INODT.
Drivers heading northbound on I-65 who need to head west on I-70 will be re-routed once they reach 465. Drivers will need to take I-465 westbound to reconnect with I-70.
This could also mean more congestion in some areas of downtown Indianapolis.
Commuters who usually take I-65 past the south split to get off at Meridian or West streets will now need to exit at Raymond, Morris or Washington Streets.
Additionally, INDOT is adding more drive time information to the interstates to help drivers make informed decisions on the best routes to take.
“If you’re on I-70 you’ll see a sign that tells you if it’s quicker to take I-70 through downtown or to get over to I-465. Which may be further in length, but during those peak times downtown it can be busy,” said Will Wingfield from INDOT.
There are already drive time signs in Indianapolis, but now that information is also being added to message boards across the state. In the past, message boards were only used for accident and construction information.
“We are testing this out on four of our message boards at this time, and if it’s a successful test then we’ll do that on other boards around the state,” said Wingfield.
One of the tests is in Hamilton County on I-69. It shows the travel time from State Road 109 to I-469 in Fort Wayne, and then up to the Michigan state line.
“It is something that certainly can be of use to the thousands of vehicles that use I-69 on holiday weeks, like Memorial Day or just as part of their regular commute,” said Wingfield.
INDOT officials want your feedback on social media. Let them know on Facebook or Twitter if you would like to see more drive times in your area.
FOX59 will stay on top of this project during the next two months. View traffic restrictions on our traffic page, and you can also check the traffic for your commute by downloading our Traffic Authority app in your app store.
App Store link | Google Play link
Type in your route and the app will alert you if there are any delays.
