Major progress was made for the Interstate 69 Finish Line project on Indianapolis’ southside last weekend.
Crews successfully moved eastbound Interstate 465 onto newly constructed lanes and fresh pavement. Restrictions began Friday evening as crews closed two eastbound lanes and multiple ramps to make room for crews to set barrier wall and safely switch traffic to the new eastbound lanes. Lanes and ramps along I-465 eastbound opened to traffic early Monday morning prior to the morning commute, according to an Indiana Department of Transportation project update.
Westbound I-465 traffic will utilize existing westbound travel lanes for the remainder of the week before moving to the new eastbound pavement Friday evening, INDOT officials say.
Lane restrictions also began Saturday on Harding Street underneath I-465 to allow crews to start demolition of the westbound I-465 bridge. Both north and southbound Harding Street will be reduced to one dedicated left turn lane, one through-lane and one right turn lane for much of 2024 as work on the overhead bridge structure continues, according to INDOT.
Officials ask drivers to slow down when entering the construction zone and follow the posted 45 mph speed limit.
More demolition work is planned on the southwest side as crews began demolishing the I-465 overpass over Bluff Road Monday night. The demolition is expected to continue through Thursday, INDOT officials say.
Nightly closures are expected on Bluff Road between Thompson Road and Hanna Avenue from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. The official detour route follows Thompson Road to Meridian Street to Hanna Avenue, back to Bluff Road. Local access will be maintained throughout the duration of the closures. Nightly closures on Bluff Road will pause after Thursday but will resume the evening of Jan. 2, lasting until Jan. 5, according to INDOT.
The full detour route can be found by clicking here.
Rolling closures on east and westbound I-465 are also expected this week as road crews install new overhead signage and structures.
As for I-69, the temporary access to and from northbound State Road 37 at Edgewood Avenue was permanently removed. Access to Edgewood will now be via Epler Avenue or Southport Road, INDOT officials say.
In Johnson County, crews expect to lift the single-lane restriction on northbound State Road 37 near State Road 144 and Olive Branch Road before holiday travel after completing median work, according to INDOT.
