Memorial Day traditionally marks the start of the summer travel season in Indiana. And whether you’re attending the Indianapolis 500, vacationing, visiting family and friends, or just passing through, INDOT urges drivers to plan extra travel time, to stay informed on road conditions and to drive safely.
Road work suspended
Most highway maintenance activities and construction projects will halt work during the holiday weekend to increase mobility and safety. INDOT directs its contractors to pull back barriers and barricades to the safest extent possible to accommodate the anticipated increase in holiday travel. Some restrictions and reduced speed limits will remain in place due to ongoing road construction, including:
Northern Indiana
- Sections of I-94 between Kennedy Avenue (Exit 3) in Hammond and the Michigan state line have lane closures and lane shifts for road and bridge construction projects.
- Sections of I-80 between Kennedy Avenue (Exit 3) in Hammond and State Road 19 (Exit 92) in Elkhart have lane closures and lane shifts for road and bridge construction projects.
- I-65 lanes are shifted for concrete restoration between U.S. 30 (Exit 253) in Merrillville and I-80/94 (Exit 259) in Gary.
- I-65 lanes are shifted for bridge deck replacement at mile 227 near Fair Oaks between the State Road 14 and State Road 10 exits.
- I-69 lanes are shifted for a bridge replacement project between Union Chapel Road (Exit 317) near Fort Wayne and County Road 11A (Exit 326) near Garrett.
- I-469 near Fort Wayne is reduced to one lane in each direction for road construction between U.S. 27/33 (Exit 11) and Minnich Road (Exit 17).
- State Road 49 is reduced to one lane in each direction between State Road 2 in Valparaiso and U.S. 6 near Chesterton.
Central Indiana
Bridge construction where I-65 and I-465 meet on the south side of Indianapolis requires lane shifts and ramp closures, including:
- The I-65 south ramp to I-465 east is closed for bridge construction. A signed detour directs traffic to continue to Southport Road (Exit 103) and return northbound to access I-465 east.
- The I-465 east loop ramp to I-65 north is closed for bridge construction. A signed detour directs traffic on I-65 south to Southport Road (Exit 103) and return northbound on I-65.
- I-65 south is reduced to two lanes across I-465.
- I-70 lanes are shifted for construction at three bridges between Greenfield and the Ohio state line at miles 112, 137 and 154.
- I-70 near Terre Haute is reduced to one lane in each direction for maintenance on two bridges between U.S. 41/150 (Exit 7) and U.S. 40/State Road 46 (Exit 11).
- I-65 lanes near Lafayette are shifted for widening construction between State Road 26 (Exit 172) and State Road 38 (Exit 168).
- Sections of State Road 37 from Bloomington to just south of Martinsville are reduced to one lane in each direction for Interstate 69 construction.
Southern Indiana
- I-65 lanes are shifted for widening construction from Sellersburg/Speed (Exit 9) to Memphis Road (Exit 16).
- Sections of I-69 near Evansville are reduced to one lane for highway and bridge maintenance projects from Green River Road (Exit 3) to I-64 (Exit 21).
- Sections of U.S. 41 near Vincennes are reduced to one lane in each direction for bridge construction, including two areas about 3 miles south of U.S. 50.
- Use State Road 46 to access Brown County as State Road 135 is closed both north and south of Nashville.
- State Road 245 is closed south of Santa Claus. Continue to use State Road 162 to access Holiday World.
Indy 500 traffic
Race fans driving to Indianapolis 500 festivities this weekend should plan their routes to the track and designate a sober driver home. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway provides directions, transportation options and general race information at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500/fan-info/directions-and-zones/
The U.S. 36/Rockville Road (Exit 13) bridge over I-465 and all interchange ramps have reopened to traffic following a January crash that caused extensive bridge damage. INDOT and Rieth-Riley Construction rebuilt the bridge and opened the interchange to a normal traffic pattern on May 1.
INDOT traffic management staff will be on duty during the race, monitoring traffic cameras and congestion, coordinating with law enforcement, and posting information to dynamic message signs. INDOT’s Hoosier Helpers freeway service patrol sponsored by State Farm will assist all weekend in keeping traffic flowing.
On Sunday, May 28, INDOT encourages through travelers to avoid race traffic on I-465 and I-65 on the west side of Indianapolis.
Know before you go
Learn about traffic and road conditions, crashes and construction on state highways by visiting http://indot.carsprogram.org, calling 1-800-261-ROAD (7623), or dialing 511 from a mobile phone.
Subscribe to receive INDOT news and information by text message or email at http://alerts.indot.in.gov. Find links to INDOT’s regional Facebook and Twitter pages at www.in.gov/indot/3074.htm.
Drive safely
The Indiana State Police and local law-enforcement agencies are participating in the national Click It or Ticket mobilization through June 4, 2017. Officers will join thousands of law-enforcement agencies across the country in conducting high-visibility patrols encouraging drivers and passengers to buckle up.
Click It or Ticket is an annual enforcement effort supported by federal funding from the Traffic Safety division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Indiana law enforcement agencies have been actively involved in the Click It or Ticket campaign for over 20 years. According to ICJI, there were 827 people killed on Indiana roadways in 2016. Of those fatalities, 36 percent were found to be unrestrained.
For 2017, Indiana agencies will join those from across the Eastern half of the United States in a combined “border to border” mobilization. On Monday, May 22 from 4 to 8 p.m., this joint mobilization will be a driving force for seat-belt safety. Unbelted motorists, whether driving or riding, will be issued a ticket.
For more information regarding the Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/ciot.
SOURCE: News release from Indiana Department of Transportation