Westside Work to Shift I-465 Northbound into Narrow LanesINDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Press Release September 11, 2007 Motorists should prepare for month-long 56th Street ramp closure that will begin soon INDIANAPOLIS - Motorists should stay alert for new traffic patterns being put into place this week on I-465 northbound between the I-74 and West 56th Street exits. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is beginning work to widen and rebuild this section of I-465 on the westside as part of Accelerate 465. Night crews will install new pavement markings this week that will shift I-465 northbound toward the median shoulder. The existing lanes, ramps and shoulders of I-465 northbound will be narrowed within the work zone, and temporary concrete barriers will separate traffic from construction along the outside shoulder. INDOT will implement a permanent work zone speed limit of 45 miles per hour after the new traffic pattern takes effect. Motorists should also begin planning alternate routes for an upcoming ramp closure at the West 56th Street exit. INDOT plans to replace deteriorating pavement on the I-465 northbound exit to 56th Street. This ramp closure will last about one month, and could begin as early as Monday, September 24 depending upon weather and construction progress. INDOT will notify the public once a closure date has been established. This new traffic pattern for I-465 northbound will remain in place throughout the winter. Starting in spring 2008, both directions of traffic will share the northbound lanes while road crews rebuild the southbound lanes. As one of the first segments of I-465 ever built, the eleven miles of interstate between West 56th Street and S.R. 67/Kentucky Avenue cannot handle existing traffic volumes at peak periods. Accelerate 465 is a Major Moves project that will add lanes to I-465 and reconfigure interchanges to promote the free-flow movement of traffic, along with pedestrian crossings, noise barriers and other improvements that will benefit nearby residents. Gov. Mitch Daniels' Major Moves highway program capitalizes on Indiana's strategic location at the Crossroads of America by building a superior road infrastructure. When complete in 2015, nearly $12 billion in critical highway projects will have been built. This innovative plan will bring jobs to the Hoosier State and leave a legacy for Indiana to be a global leader in distribution and logistics. |
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