Smith Valley Road interchange on I-69 open to southbound drivers

Interstate 69 southbound ramps to and from Smith Valley Road opened last week, and the interchange is set to fully open later this year.

The partial opening includes the Smith Valley Road bridge over State Road 37 and the Smith Valley Road/Mullinix Road roundabout east of State Road 37. While the northbound ramps remain closed, drivers heading north who want to travel to Smith Valley Road can take a detour using the County Line Road exit to get to the southbound lanes, according to a weekly transportation update from the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Further south, drivers should watch for workers in the medians of Interstate 69 near County Road 144 as they repair cable barriers. In Morgan County, construction crews will repair pavement at the Henderson Ford Road roundabout. Workers will temporarily flag traffic as they install the new surface and lay a steel plate over the pavement while it cures, INDOT officials say.

In Marion County, workers have begun installing a new fly-over bridge for the future I-69/Interstate 465 interchange, which includes steel girders that form the base of the bridge. Workers will continue nightly I-465 lane closures between Kentucky Avenue and U.S. 31 for material deliveries. Drivers should be cautious of trucks entering and exiting the work zone on I-465 near Mann Road and Harding Street, INDOT officials say.

During the coming weeks, crews will work on the shoulders near U.S. 31 to continue installing sound barriers, and the U.S. 31 northbound ramp to I-465 will close temporarily to complete a section of noise barriers, INDOT officials say.