Buckle up; Drivers getting set for another year of construction season

No matter what side of town you drive on, you’re almost guaranteed to see construction. The Indiana Department of Transportation has multiple major projects underway, trying to make life easier down the road for you.

“We do have several major projects going on on different sides of the 465 loop, and we’re making a lot of progress on all of them,” said Jordan Yanny, the Public Relations Director for INDOT East Central.

INDOT kicked off the Clear Path project on 465 back in 2022. So far, crews have added new travel and ramp lanes, repaired 10 of 14 bridges, and replaced interstate pavement. Drivers who pass through the project have experienced constant construction and daily headaches. A student at Heritage Christian told FOX59/CBS4 that traffic is awful around the school in the mornings.

“It’s definitely difficult in the mornings.” Andrew Sloan said. “Today I missed the exit because the traffic was jammed up so much and I tried to get around it, but I couldn’t because the traffic was just so bad.”

His classmate Eli Nix agreed. “Yeah, I’d say it’s pretty bad in the mornings, especially some days coming to school,” Nix said. “It gets stressful too with cars honking at me and I get scared on the highway. But yeah, it’s pretty bad.”

In a separate project on Indy’s southside, INDOT proved that roadwork takes time. The I-69 finish line project took six years to complete. The final phase started in Martinsville and finished in Indianapolis. It focused on constructing overpasses and underpasses and adding access points. INDOT says drivers like it.

 “When you take that exit 5 off of 465 and you’re on the mini lanes of 49 heading south, it is so much better, especially during the construction with the detours,” Yanny said. In Hamilton County, drivers have already seen the start of the so-called Level Up 31 project. Currently in phase 1, it will be in 4 separate phases. Crews will work on the I-465/US 31 north interchange and 7 different bridges.

INDOT says the goal is to increase the capacity that can get off 465 in both directions and go north on 31.

“The population boom in Carmel and Westfield has been beyond our projections, and it’s already over capacity,” Yanny said.

Drivers who hope to see the finish line have to buckle up and endure another year of orange cone season.