In the next five years, more than $177 million in roadwork will come to Johnson County, funded by increases in taxes and other fees Hoosiers are now paying.
The projects stretch across the county and range from building the final leg of Interstate 69 along State Road 37 to repairing and rebuilding bridges and improving intersections in Franklin.
Gov. Eric Holcomb and INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness announced the plan this week, which would invest $4.7 billion in roads across the state in the next five years, including paving 10,000 miles of roads and repairing or replacing about 1,300 bridges, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Cities, towns and counties will also be getting another $342 million per year in funding by 2024, the release said.
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The added money comes from lawmakers’ recent approvals to increase the gas tax and add fees on vehicle registrations.
“Our transportation network of roads and bridges plays a major part in Indiana’s success story both now and in the future,” Holcomb said in the release.
“With a fully-funded plan in place for the next 20 years, Hoosiers can rest assured that Indiana will remain the Crossroads of America for generations to come. I thank our lawmakers for their committed leadership to make this possible, and I commend INDOT for working hard to identify key projects so that we could be ready to roll with this five-year plan so quickly.”
Johnson County is getting the third highest amount of funding among all counties in the state, after Morgan and Marion counties.
The majority of that funding — nearly 87 percent — is going to fund building the final leg of I-69 along State Road 37, according to the state’s list of projects in Johnson County. In Morgan County, that project makes up 92 percent of the total $286 million in project funding, and in Marion County, it makes up 55 percent of the $251 million in funding.
State officials have long planned the final leg of I-69, which runs from Martinsville to Interstate 465 in Indianapolis but had been unsure of where the funding would come from. Under the state’s plan, funding for the work would be set aside as soon as next year.
A construction timeline has not been released. State officials are currently working on finalizing the route for the interstate along State Road 37.
But other projects are also being funded locally with money from the state, according to the state’s project list.
A total of 10 bridges in the county are also being repaired or replaced for a total cost of more than $4.4 million. That includes bridges on State Road 135, State Road 37, State Road 44, U.S. 31 and State Road 252.
Other projects include reconstructing sections of State Road 44 near Interstate 65, repaving U.S. 31 in Franklin and south of State Road 252 and repaving State Road 144, from State Road 135 to State Road 44.
Another $600,000 is going into projects on local roads.
About $64,000 will go toward removing a median at Simon Road and U.S. 31 that traffic can use to cross the highway. The state is also contributing $300,000 to three roundabouts at intersections in Franklin — Arvin Drive and Commerce Parkway, Eastview Drive and Upper Shelbyville Road and Eastview Drive and Hurricane Road.
Another $257,000 will go toward intersection improvements at Tracy Road and U.S. 31 in New Whiteland.
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Here is a look at the list of projects INDOT is planning in Johnson County in the next five years, which total $177 million:
2018
$390,000: Replacing a bridge on State Road 135, just north of State Road 144
$188,200: Repairing a bridge on State Road 37, just south of State Road 144
2019
$8.1 million: Upgrading State Road 37 to I-69
$100,000: Roundabout at Arvin Drive and Commerce Parkway
2020
$27.3 million: Upgrading State Road 37 to I-69
$569,000: Repairing bridge on State Road 44 over Youngs Creek
$1.6 million: Replacing bridge on State Road 44, east of I-65
$675,000: Repairing bridge on State Road 252, west of U.S. 31 over Youngs Creek
$1.35 million: Repaving State Road 144, from State Road 135 to State Road 44
$100,000: Roundabout at Eastview Drive and Upper Shelbyville Road
$100,000: Roundabout at Eastview Drive and Hurricane Road
$828,900: Repaving U.S. 31, from south of Jefferson Street to north of Westview Drive
$5.9 million: Repaving U.S. 31 south of State Road 252
2021
$57.7 million: Upgrading State Road 37 to I-69
$920,000: Reconstructing State Road 44 around I-65
$64,000: Removing a median at Simon Road and U.S. 31
$257,000: Intersection improvement at U.S. 31 and Tracy Road
$1 million: Replacing the bridge on U.S. 31, north of State Road 252
2022
$60.1 million: Upgrading State Road 37 to I-69
SOURCE: INDOT
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