INDIANAPOLIS – Starting Friday night you may notice more traffic cones on I-465 if you are headed to or from the northwest corner of Marion County.
INDOT is kicking off a few construction projects on a number of ramps. It’s still that time of year when road work is in full swing.
“The construction is getting crazier everywhere,” laughed Indianapolis driver Leonor Villalta.
I-465 is a big part of that summer construction.
“I try to avoid 465,” said Villalta. “I try to avoid the highway.”
Some drivers say rush hour backups are what keep them off the interstate, especially when there is construction.
“When you get to the construction, that’s when it gets really congested,” said driver Sydney Petersen.
INDOT workers said they are no strangers to the memes, jokes and fuss about summer construction, but behind each hard hat is a job.
“To those people who get frustrated with that work and that traffic, we understand,” said Kyleigh Cramer, Public Relations Director for INDOT’s for East Central Indiana. “We can empathize, but at the same time, this work does need to be done.”
That includes work on the I-465 northwest loop ramp westbound of 86th Street. That will be closed until Monday morning. Shift down towards Crawfordsville Road and Eagle Creek and there will be a few other ramp restrictions. The northbound off-ramp and southbound on-ramp will be reduced to a single lane.
According to INDOT, crews will have lane restrictions at the following locations for a bridge deck overlay:
- I-465 ramp at 15.3 mile marker over Big Eagle Creek will be restricted to a single lane from Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m. through Friday, July 28, at 6 a.m.
- I-465 NB off-ramp to Crawfordsville Rd. will be restricted to a single lane from Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m. through Friday, July 28, at 6 a.m.
- I-465 NW loop ramp over westbound 86th Street will be closed from Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m. through Monday, July 24, at 6 a.m.
“We definitely recommend people map their route, that they leave a little early if they need to get to work on Monday and the rest of the week,” said Cramer.
Some drivers say they will just try and stay off the interstate for a bit.
“Like if it’s kind of later in the day rush hour, what I’ll normally do is maybe a few more backroads than usual,” said Peterson. “But I usually try to time it so I’m not there when everyone else is.”
In the meantime, INDOT asks all drivers to be cautious amid construction.
“We ask people to slow down,” said Cramer. “Make sure they are driving appropriate speed and making sure to drive distraction-free.”
A portion of I-65 will also be closed from I-465 to I-865 starting Saturday at 8 p.m. and will last until Sunday at 10 a.m.
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