South-side Indianapolis bottlenecks to get $40m upgrade

Construction started Oct. 7 on a project designed to speed traffic through the interchange of interstates 65 and 465 on the south side.

The crossroads has two main choke points, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.

• Drivers heading west on 465 hit the brakes to swing through the 25 mph cloverleaf, then have to stomp on their gas pedals to merge onto 65 south.

The cloverleaf will be replaced with a two-lane flyover ramp with a posted speed limit of 40 mph.

• The ramp funneling northbound 65 traffic to eastbound 465 clogs because its single lane overloads.

Transportation planners discovered that much of the morning traffic flows north on 65 from the Southport interchange to the ramp and then to 465 and on to Emerson Avenue. Traffic flows the opposite direction in the afternoon.

The commuters in effect will get their own lanes.

A lane will be added to northbound 65 from Southport to 465. The ramp will get a second lane. And eastbound 465 will be widened with an additional lane to Emerson.

For their trips home, commuters will move along an additional lane on westbound 465 and take the new flyover to a 65 widened by one lane.

Crown Point-based Walsh Construction is expected to finish the $39.9 million project by the end of next year.•