INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — You can't say you haven't been warned, not with all the signs along I-65 just north of downtown and along the on and off ramps.
And not with all the ads INDOT has playing on local radio stations.
Starting July 1, I-65 between West 21st Street and Meridian Street will be closed in both directions for what INDOT calls much-needed and long-overdue bridge "maintenance and rehabilitation."
The work is scheduled to take 35 days, meaning it should end August 5, the day before IPS students return to school.
But 35 days is a long time if that segment is part of your route in and out of downtown and it's a segment that many rely on.
INDOT Spokesman Scott Manning said the I-65 West Street bridge averages 130,000 vehicles during peak rush hour times, those being 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.
Manning said to experiment before July 1 with alternate routes choosing not just one new route, but a back-up as well.
You may also want to add 20 to 30 minutes to your commute time.
While INDOT is encouraging all thru traffic to avoid I-65 during the construction period, using the I-465 loop instead, people who work or have appointments downtown will have to find other options.
The Department of Public Works has shared a map with Downtown Indy and the Indy Chamber, of suggested detours.
They include using Lafayette Road, Michigan and MLK and Meridian streets, but knowing there's still a short detour along Meridian at 29th.
But as DPW Director Dan Parker said, remember all those other drivers are pretty much in the same boat as you are.
WTHR traffic reporter offered suggestions for how to get into town from each direction during the closure.
From the east or south:
- Take westbound I-70 to the collector ramp for Michigan and Ohio streets and enter from the east
From the northwest:
- Take I-65 to Lafayette Road to eastbound 16th Street
- Take Michigan Road until it turns into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. Continue inbound onto MLK Street to West Street
Downtown ramps:
Some downtown ramps will still be open during the closure.
- Southbound - I-65 to 21st Street and 21st Street to northbound I-65
- Northbound - I-65 to Meridian and Pennsylvania streets, and Delaware Street to southbound I-65/eastbound I-70
"You need to have a lot of patience because there's going to be a lot of traffic diverted," he said, adding that's why "we're asking folks to find an alternative route before the morning of July 2nd, (a Monday) so they're prepared that morning."
Manning said another option is to simply use your traffic and navigation app.
He said INDOT has been in contact with Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps to make sure their maps reflect the upcoming closure.
Manning also said, depending on your job, see if you can shift your hours to avoid the heaviest traffic or better yet, work from home.
While the downtown closure is getting a lot of attention, southbound I-65 between the I-65/I-465 interchange on the northwest side of Indianapolis will also be closed during the same period.
Manning said I-65 southbound traffic on the northwest side will be detoured via I-465 South or I-465 East.
He also noted there are incentives for the contractor to get the job done on time.
For every day the work is finished before August 5, the contractor will get $250,000 (for up to five days).
And for every day it's late, the contractor will face a penalty of $250,000 a day with no limit on the days that penalty can be incurred.