Banta Road to close for I-69 construction

Banta Road will close permanently at State Road 37 Wednesday as construction workers prepare to complete State Road 37’s conversion to Interstate 69 in the area.

Workers will remove the intersection pavement and traffic signal before winter, allowing them to rebuild shoulders and ditches, according to a news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The final ramp for the State Road 144 interchange onto I-69 will open in the next two to three weeks, and will lead drivers from State Road 144 onto southbound I-69. The other three interchange ramps are now open. Now, drivers can enter southbound State Road 37 and I-69 from County Line Road, Fairview Road, Smith Valley Road and Henderson Ford Road, INDOT officials say.

By the end of the year, State Road 37 will officially convert to I-69 through southern Johnson County, with the speed limit increased to 70 miles per hour from State Road 144 in Bargersville to State Road 44 in Martinsville, INDOT officials say.