Local News 

Interstate 65 traffic to clear up for winter season

John Clark
Photo courtesy of INDOT.

You will be seeing a break in the Interstate 65 construction zone between Columbus and Seymour next week.

INDOT says that they are planning to open newly paved concrete lanes, eliminating use of the southbound median crossover located north of the State Road 58/Walesboro Exit.. That is going to happen next Friday, Dec. 7. Weather permitting, southbound traffic will remain on the southbound side of I-65.

According to INDOT, the new winter traffic configuration on I-65 that will remain in effect throughout the winter includes:

  • The asphalt section between State Road 46 ramps at Columbus and mile marker 64.5 near the Walesboro exit will remain in normal configuration — two 12-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 4-foot inside shoulders and 8-foot outside shoulders.
  • Mile marker 64.5 to 61.2 at Smalls Creek bridge will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 2-foot shoulders.
  • Mile marker 61.2 to 56.0 just north of State Road 11 will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 4-foot inside shoulders and 8-foot outside shoulders.
  • Mile marker 56.0 to 53.3 at White River bridge will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 2-foot shoulders.
  • Mile marker 53.5 to 50 at U.S. 50/Seymour will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 4-foot inside shoulders and 8-foot outside shoulders.

Prior to normalizing the traffic, concrete barrier wall sections must be relocated.

You will still see orange barrels that will keep you from driving in the new third travel lanes while various work continues throughout most of the I-65 construction zone this winter.

This is all part of the $143 million dollar ongoing Next Level road project between Columbus and Seymour. The 3-year I-65 project will create a 6-lane concrete roadway between U.S. 50 and State Road 58. There will also be pavement repairs and asphalt resurfacing on the existing 4-lane section between State Road 58 and State Road  46 and bridge work at 27 difference structure sites along the 17-mile route.