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Last updated on Wednesday, July 18, 2018
(BARTHOLOMEW & JACKSON COUNTIES) —The Indiana Department of Transportation will begin restricting travel lanes on Interstate 65 south of Columbus—both northbound and southbound— between mile markers 64.0 and 68.0 Monday, July 23.
Various lane closures are being scheduled in conjunction with several different construction operations over the next eight weeks. Inclement weather could delay planned work.
July 23-26
There will be overnight closures of an inside or outside I-65 lane for shoulder strengthening and partial-depth patching between mile markers 64.0 and 68.0. Sections of one lane in either direction will be closed at a time from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
July 27/weekends
Starting July 27, single-lane closures impacting both northbound and southbound I-65 traffic will be required for six weekends to allow contracted crews to prep and overlay the bridge deck on the single-span 90-foot structure over Denois Creek at mile marker 65.5. Restrictions begin at 6 p.m. Fridays and continue through noon on Sundays. In addition to placement of a 2-inch latex cement bridge deck overlay, INDOT's contractor will pour new 20-foot approach slabs and make full-depth concrete patches near the bridge.
July 27/weekends
Starting July 27, the inside or outside lane of northbound or southbound I-65 will close either Friday night or Saturday night for six weekends between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. Crews will saw-cut deteriorating pavement and form full-depth concrete patches from mile maker 64.0 to 68.0. Extended-hour closures are required to allow time for new concrete to cure.
After Labor Day
I-65 north of State Road 58/Walesboro to the ramps at S.R. 46/Columbus will be milled and resurfaced. This operation in the 4-lane section of the project requires single-lane closures at moving worksites. Paving activities will continue for approximately two weeks.
INDOT officials advise motorists to anticipate traffic queues, especially during peak travel times.
August 4 Traffic Pattern Change
A major change in the I-65 traffic pattern is tentatively scheduled to be implemented on Saturday, August 4. At that time, all southbound traffic will be routed to the east side of I-65 (northbound side) at a median crossover north of S.R. 58 near mile marker 64.0. Southbound motorists will be routed back to the west side (southbound side) at a median crossover near mile marker 61.5.
The early-August shift to I-65's east side will accommodate two 11-foot-wide lanes of traffic in each direction. It will remain in effect while the west half of the interstate is under construction.
E & B Paving is INDOT's prime contractor for this 3-year $143 million Next Level Roads project on I-65 between Seymour and Columbus. The project calls for full-depth construction of a 6-lane roadway between U.S. Highway 50 and S.R. 58--then repairing and resurfacing the existing 4-lane pavement section between S.R. 58 and S.R. 46. This includes significant bridge work at 27 difference structure sites along the 17-mile route.
Currently, E & B crews are working behind concrete barricades in the northbound median area between S.R. 11 and S.R. 58 where pavement is being widened in advance of August's traffic shift.
Motorists can learn about highway work zones and other traffic alerts at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. For highway information, monitor social media sites: www.Facebook.com/INDOTSoutheast and Twitter @INDOTSoutheast. Subscribe to receive text and email alerts at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDOT/subscriber/new.
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