As they embark on a new vision for the interstates that run through Indianapolis, state transportation officials say they hope to learn from past mistakes by making community engagement a focal point of the planning process.
The North Split project, which was first announced in 2017, will reconfigure the Interstate 65/Interstate 70 interchange on the northeast side of downtown.
INDOT said all lanes of I-465 will be closed from I-65 on the south side to I-70 on the east side starting at 9 p.m. Friday.
The Indiana Department of Transportation is warning motorists it will close parts of Interstate 65 and I-70 in Indianapolis beginning this week to complete work delayed by recent rains.
One of the bills would restrict changes that could be made to the Interstate 65/Interstate 70 inner loop around downtown. Another would remove the ban on light-rail projects in Indianapolis.
Podcast host Mason King talks with Rethink 65/70 member Paul Knapp, the CEO of Young & Laramore, about the group’s plan to put parts of the highway below grade. Then he talks with INDOT spokesman Scott Manning and HNTB’s Kia Gillette about whether the state will consider Rethink’s ideas.
Downtown community groups and neighbors fought the state’s original plan that called for road widening, saying the interstates would encroach even farther into residential areas.
The project will close both directions of Interstate 65 between the Meridian Street and 21st Street exits starting next week.
Some residents say a newly released Indiana Department of Transportation traffic analysis doesn’t address the issue they’re most concerned about—the quality-of-life impact that interstates 65 and 70 have on their downtown neighborhoods.
Mayor Joe Hogsett is echoing the chorus of community leaders and downtown residents expressing concern with the state’s $250 million plan to revamp the I-70/I-65 interchange.
The chamber and other coalition members favor options for the interstate project that would be more neighborhood-friendly.
As INDOT moves forward with plans for a major I-65/I-70 construction project, a coalition of residents with concerns about the impact on surrounding neighborhoods is also gaining steam.
State officials say the interchange on the northeast outskirts of downtown is 50 years old and reaching the end of its useful life. But project details are still fuzzy.
If approved, the plan would not require any future vote on tollways by lawmakers once a specific tolling plan is in place. Instead, it would leave that up to the discretion of the governor.
The temporary shutdown of the northbound Interstate 65 ramp to westbound Interstate 70 will allow workers to rehabilitate two ramp bridges that are more than 40 years old.
A bridge repair project will soon shut down a ramp linking Interstates 65 and 70 near downtown Indianapolis for two months.
Officials say they didn’t see problems any worse than anticipated Tuesday morning when commuters dealt with the closure of a key section of Interstates 65 and 70. But the afternoon could be a different story.
The Indiana Department of Transportation says a key section of Interstate 70 eastbound and I-65 northbound may reopen in time for Monday morning commuters.
An Interstate 70 ramp in downtown Indianapolis is expected to be shut down for several days so that a 40-foot metal sculpture of a molecule can be built.
Truck-only toll lanes along Interstate 70 are among potential projects that could result from a controversial bill that would allow the governor to authorize toll roads without an OK from the Legislature.
