INDIANAPOLIS – Eastbound I-465 reopened Thursday morning following the first phase of construction on the southwest side.
The Indiana Department of Transportation said earlier this week that travel lanes and ramps on eastbound 465 would be ready for rush hour on Thursday morning.
INDOT met the goal, with traffic flowing on the interstate just after 5 a.m. Thursday.
Eastbound 465 construction
The work began on June 2. INDOT closed eastbound 465 between I-65 and I-70 as workers added travel lanes, performed bridge and structure work, installed drainage structures and more.
Shutting down the interstate for most of the month allowed crews to have access to areas that would be otherwise difficult to work on when traffic was moving through.
The phased reopening started with I-65 and ended with I-70. Drivers should be mindful of the new traffic pattern and watch for crews as they move barrels and remove barricades.
Up next: Westbound 465
Construction isn’t finished on I-465, however. Next month, INDOT crews will work on the other side of the interstate. Westbound 465 will close between July 7 and July 29.
Essentially, crews will do the same thing in the westbound lanes, closing 465 to perform bridge and structure work, add lanes, install drainage structures and the like. Again, keeping that section of the interstate closed will allow crews to operate safely without worrying about oncoming traffic.
INDOT said hundreds of construction workers will be on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the closure.
The official detour is I-65 northbound to I-70 westbound in the South Split.
The following ramps will close for the work:
- I-65 northbound/southbound to I-465 westbound
- East Street/U.S. 31 to/from I-465 westbound
- Harding Street/S.R. 37 to/from I-465 westbound
- Kentucky Avenue/S.R. 67 to/from I-465 westbound
The southbound U.S. 31 (East Street) ramp to I-465 westbound will remain closed through late 2024, INDOT said.
The work is part of the “I-69 Finish Line Project” to connect Indianapolis to Evansville. Crews are upgrading the existing State Road 37 to interstate standards between Martinsville and Indianapolis.
