Interstate lane closures scheduled to begin Monday
Lane closures on Interstate 65 in Bartholomew and Jackson counties are slated to begin on Monday. The Indiana Department of Transportation says that crews will begin restricting travel lanes in both direction between mile markers 64 and 68. INDOT says that a number of lane closures are being scheduled in conjunction with several different construction operations over the next eight weeks. They include:
July 23-26:
– Overnight closures of an inside or outside I-65 lane for shoulder strengthening and partial-depth patching between mile markers 64 and 68. Sections of one lane in either direction will be closed at a time from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
July 27/weekends:
– INDOT says that single-lane closures impacting both northbound and southbound I-65 traffic will be required for six weekends to allow crews to prep and overlay the bridge deck on the structure over Denois Creek at mile marker 65.5. Restrictions are set to begin at 6 p.m. Fridays and continue through noon on Sundays. In addition, INDOTs contractor will pour new 20-foot approach slabs and make full-depth concrete patches near the bridge.
– Starting July 27, the inside or outside lane of northbound or southbound I-65 will close either Friday night or Saturday night for six weekends between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. as crews will saw-cut deteriorating pavement and form full-depth concrete patches from mile maker 64 to 68.
After Labor Day:
– I-65 north of State Road 58/Walesboro to the ramps at State Road 46 at Columbus will be milled and resurfaced. INDOT officials say this work requires single-lane closures at moving worksites. Paving activities will continue for approximately two weeks.
August 4:
– A major change in the I-65 traffic pattern is tentatively scheduled to be implemented on Saturday, August 4. At that time, all southbound traffic will be routed to the northbound side of I-65 at a median crossover north of State Road 58 near mile marker 64. INDOT says that southbound drivers will be routed back to the southbound side at a median crossover near mile marker 61.5.
INDOT says this work is part of the three-year, $143 million, Next Level Roads project on I-65 between Seymour and Columbus. The project calls for full-depth construction of a six-lane roadway between U.S. Highway 50 and State Road 58, then repairing and resurfacing the existing four-lane pavement section between State Road 58 and State Road 46. This includes bridge work at 27 difference structure sites along the 17-mile route.