Commuters driving to Indianapolis each day already have gotten used to navigating narrow lanes and concrete barriers as crews made repairs to Interstate 465.
Drivers had to add extra time to their
trips earlier this month while patch
work was completed on sections of Interstate 65 through Johnson County.
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But hold on, the construction isn’t finished yet. Major road projects on tap for 2015 will continue to affect commutes to work, trips to run errands and drop-offs at your child’s school.
Both I-65 and U.S. 31 have construction projects scheduled, and work will be finished on one main route running through Franklin and begin on another. Construction in preparation of a new Worthsville Road interchange also will continue in Greenwood.
Construction crews can only get as much work done as the weather will allow, which is why projects such as construction on Main Street in Franklin, originally expected to be complete this year, isn’t finished. Other projects, such as the stoplight and turn lanes at State Road 135 and Smokey Row Road, were delayed because of weather.
And next year, additional projects will start in the
county and along I-65, which could mean longer commute times for residents.
The state plans to begin construction to add north-
and southbound travel lanes on I-65 between Southport and Greenwood some time in the spring. And if state lawmakers approve funding, the state also plans to add additional lanes to the interstate as far south as Franklin, spokesman Harry Maginity said.
State lawmakers need to review the state’s December revenues before granting final approval to add the extra lanes between Greenwood and Franklin, Maginity said. If the project is approved, the state likely will start the process to hire a company in the spring, but no other details about the project are known yet, Maginity said.
The state also is overseeing several other road projects in Johnson County, including ongoing construction at Worthsville Road, where a new interchange is planned and a project on U.S. 31 near Tracy Road.
Sections of Worthsville Road near Clark-Pleasant Middle School and Graham Road were closed this fall while new intersections were built in preparation for the new interchange. Early next year, likely in mid- to late January or early February, construction crews will demolish the bridge over I-65, Maginity said.
The project on U.S. 31 near Tracy Road involves installing a small bridge and will mean the highway will be open in one lane in each direction, Maginity said. The project should take between five and six months, and while the state wants the project completed by October, no start date has been set, Maginity said.
And while construction will
be finishing next year on
Main Street, a key route into downtown Franklin, work will begin on another.
Franklin drivers already are used to having to adjust their routes because of road closures, as a project to renovate Main Street has been underway since 2012. The final stretch of that project, between the post office in the 1200 block of Main Street and U.S. 31, should be complete by the spring, CrossRoad Engineers Vice President Trent Newport said.
Once that is complete, crews will finish landscaping and touch-up work along Main Street, and the entire project should be finished by June, Newport said.
Franklin drivers will have
about two months before
another construction project starts in the city, along a roughly 1,500-foot stretch of Jefferson Street between U.S. 31 and the county fairgrounds.
That project will be to reconstruct the road, including the addition of new lighting, sidewalks and gutters, Newport said. Work will continue in sections along Jefferson Street each year through 2018.
Construction on the first section will start after the county fair ends and should be complete by the end of the year, Newport said.
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Here’s a look at some of the construction projects planned for 2015:
New lanes along I-65: The Indiana Department of Transportation will add north- and south-bound travel lanes between Southport and Greenwood. Travel lanes also could be added as far south as Franklin if funding is approved
Small bridge at U.S. 31, near Tracy Road: This project will be completed by October, but no start date has been set yet. North- and south-bound traffic will be limited to one lane
Franklin Main Street project completed: The final stretch of the project should be completed by spring, and all of the touch-up work should be finished by June
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