Indianapolis undergoes major road maintenance
Indianapolis drivers will face longer drive times than normal for the next few weeks, as construction crews start work on the I-65/I-70 split, just south of the city's downtown area.
Barricades went up at midnight on September 3, closing off both highways from the south split to the north split. The two thoroughfares join together, run through the city, and split apart again.
Work is being done on this section of the freeways because of the number of traffic accidents involving bridges that occur along the stretch. According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, the bridges typically are hit by semitrailers, when drivers try to get an oversize load under a low bridge. However, the debris flying off trucks as they squeeze under the low bridges has resulted in damage to the structures as well as to other vehicles, shut down the freeways unexpectedly, and resulted in expensive repairs.
The current shutdown is designed to fix the problem permanently by lowering the roadbed under all the bridges in the section between the splits. The work should be finished within a couple of months.
The work will impact all drivers who have to pass through downtown. One suggestion is to take I-465, which circles Indianapolis and avoids downtown entirely. Another is to use surface streets entirely, though that will add to the length of the trip.
ity officials might help residents by working with brochure printers to create a mailer that explains why the work is necessary, when it will be completed, and suggesting the simplest detours.
Barricades went up at midnight on September 3, closing off both highways from the south split to the north split. The two thoroughfares join together, run through the city, and split apart again.
Work is being done on this section of the freeways because of the number of traffic accidents involving bridges that occur along the stretch. According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, the bridges typically are hit by semitrailers, when drivers try to get an oversize load under a low bridge. However, the debris flying off trucks as they squeeze under the low bridges has resulted in damage to the structures as well as to other vehicles, shut down the freeways unexpectedly, and resulted in expensive repairs.
The current shutdown is designed to fix the problem permanently by lowering the roadbed under all the bridges in the section between the splits. The work should be finished within a couple of months.
The work will impact all drivers who have to pass through downtown. One suggestion is to take I-465, which circles Indianapolis and avoids downtown entirely. Another is to use surface streets entirely, though that will add to the length of the trip.
ity officials might help residents by working with brochure printers to create a mailer that explains why the work is necessary, when it will be completed, and suggesting the simplest detours.