Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, May 30, 2018
(INDIANAPOLIS) - INDOT will close portions of I-65 in Indianapolis beginning July 1, 2018 for bridge preservation projects.
The estimated date to reopen the interstate is August 5th, weather permitting.
Contractors will be rehabbing seven bridges along the stretch of I-65.
INDOT plans on using signs and digital boards to alert drivers to the coming changes starting next week.
Southbound Interstate 65 between the I-65/I-465 interchange on the northwest side of Indianapolis will be closed. During the closure, I-65 southbound traffic on the northwest side will be detoured via I-465 South or I-865 East.
The project will also close both directions of I-65 between Meridian St. (exit 113) and 21st St. (exit 115) in downtown Indianapolis. The entrance and exit ramps at the Dr. Martin Luther King St.//West St. interchange (exit 114) will also be closed. The entrance ramp from 21st St. to northbound I-65 will remain open.
" We understand that there are thousands of vehicles that travel that stretch of interstate every single day, so our plan is to get the message out as soon as possible, as much as possible so people can start planning ahead and planning those alternate routes," Spokesperson Lamar Holliday said.
Transportation Builders Association recently ranked Indiana as the state with the 14th-most structurally deficient bridges.
Holliday says the project is part of INDOT's plan to help fix those problems. He added that the agency is opting to repair all the bridges at once as a way to ensure the project isn't prolonged over a series of months.
"We know this is a huge inconvenience, but this is a job that needs to be done," he added.
Once construction kicks off, Holliday says the agency recommends drivers use I-465 and I-865 and alternatives around downtown.
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