Infrastructure News Summary
For May 27, 2008
CONSTRUCTION SEASON READY TO GET UNDERWAY
WTHR
Chris Proffitt
5/16/08
Indianapolis - The holiday may give way to highway headaches for drivers across central Indiana as several road projects are slated to begin. Last summer's Super 70 project, which reconstructed Interstate 70 on the east side of the city, made 2007 the biggest project year for the Indiana Department of Transportation. The end of the Memorial Day weekend marks the annual summer road construction, but instead of one big project, INDOT has dozens scattered across central Indiana. INDOT's focus this summer is the so-called "Accelerate 465" project on the west side. One of Indianapolis' largest Major Moves projects lasting through 2015. "Not only are we widening 465, widening the lanes available, but also completely rebuilding the interstate and all the interchanges and overpasses that come in touch with it," said INDOT's Will Wingfield. http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8380374
CONSTRUCTION TO GRIND NORTH-SIDE COMMUTE
The Indy Channel
5/26/08
CARMEL, Ind. -- Motorists who use Keystone Avenue in Carmel to get to work might need to invoke some patience or find another route starting Tuesday. The first phase of a three-year project designed to eliminate red lights on a five-mile stretch of the road, 6News' Rick Hightower reported. Three intersections -- 99th, 106th and 126th streets -- will be closed through Dec. 1 as construction workers undertake the first phase of the Carmel Link project. http://www.theindychannel.com/travelgetaways/16395685/detail.html
BUSY ROAD WORK SEASON AT HAND
TRAVEL WILL BE TOUGH ON MAJOR AREA INTERSTATES, LOCAL ROADS
Post-Tribune
Christin Nance Lazerus
5/23/08
Summer construction may mean a bevy of traffic headaches across Northwest Indiana. Road construction and maintenance will affect major arteries such as Interstate 65, the Borman Expressway, and U.S. 41, so drivers may have to alter their routes to work. http://www.post-trib.com/news/966748,pthome052308.article
U.S. 52 NEXT FOR MILLING, PAVING
The Shelbyville News
5/23/08
After a Memorial Day hiatus, paving crews with Indianapolis-based Milestone Contractors will begin milling surface asphalt and placing new pavement on U.S. 52 from Indianapolis to Morristown on Tuesday. Work will begin at Post Road in Indianapolis and proceed east on a 17.7-mile trek to County Road 500 East in Shelby County. There will be paving exceptions at bridges and through New Palestine. The Indiana Department of Transportation advises residents along the route to anticipate noise from the milling machine as it removes worn asphalt from the roadbed's surface. Within a day or two after the milling operation, Milestone's motorpaver will lay new asphalt as a surface course - restoring smoothness and serviceability of the highway. The $2.4 million district pavement project was proposed in 2003 and authorized in 2004 for preventative maintenance of the roadbed. http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&ArticleID=55661&TM=52763.43
U.S. 30 PAVING ON TRACK
Post-Tribune
Daniel Human
5/24/08
VALPARAISO -- Children swarmed Zao Island fun center, racing go-karts and snatching prize tickets out of arcade game Thursday despite the mile-long backup on U.S. 30 in front of the business. Josh Bingham, spokesman for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said the $2.17 million construction project remains on schedule and it is set to end in early August. The state is repaving a six-mile stretch of U.S. 30 between County Roads 250W and 325E. Crews have finished repaving the passing lanes on both sides of the road, Bingham said, and they are about 25 percent finished with the driving lanes. http://www.post-trib.com/news/968512,pc30.article
MOVE OVER 'SUPER 70'-THIS ONE IS REALLY BIG
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HOPING FOR SUMMER LAUNCH OF STUDY TO ADD TRUCK
LANES TO 800 MILES OF I-70
Indianapolis Business Journal
Chris O'Malley
5/24/08
What seemed merely a fanciful concept for Interstate 70 when highway planners tossed it out about a year ago is gaining momentum. The Indiana Department of Transportation hopes to wrap up within weeks a development agreement with three other states and the Federal Highway Administration that ensures everyone is on board studying the concept of dedicated truck lanes for I-70. At issue is an 800-mile stretch of I-70 in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. In places, semis have so clogged the interstate that one could almost jump from trailer to trailer. The potential solution, if built, would be nothing short of reinvention of the interstate. Trucks would zoom down their own lanes, some hauling three or more trailers in tandem. Truck lanes would swing off to intermodal staging areas to transfer cargo to and from nearby rail yards or water ports or maybe even to the FedEx air cargo hub in Indianapolis. http://www.ibj.com/html/detail_page.asp?content=15164
WANT UPDATES ON S.R. 15/U.S. 20 PROJECT? ELKHART CHAMBER DELIVERS
The Truth Newspaper
5/27/08
In cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce has posted an update on the S.R. 15/U.S. 20 intersection project on its Web site, www.elkhart.org/. According to the update, road closures will be temporarily posted until utility issues are resolved. During the next two years, the project will involve lengthy, staggered road closures and intersection lane restrictions. Pavement replacement at U.S. 20 and S.R. 15 is expected to be completed by this fall, weather permitting. The complete project - with new pavement, traffic signal, curbing and storm sewer - is expected to be finished in 2009. http://www.etruth.com/Know/News/Story.aspx?ID=451127