INDIANAPOLIS — The first major closure of the North Split reconstruction project is scheduled to begin Monday night.
The Indiana Department of Transportation announced Friday that the southbound Interstate 65 collector/distributor ramp to Michigan Street will close at or after 7 p.m. Monday and reopen in the late spring or early summer. The exit to Ohio Street will remain open while the Michigan Street ramp is closed.
Drivers can expect periodic rolling slowdowns from I-70 westbound and I-65 southbound to the Michigan Street collector/distributor ramp as crews prepare for the closure.
INDOT also said intermittent overnight lane closures will be needed while the following work is completed:
- From about 10 p.m. Monday through 5 a.m. Tuesday, southbound I-65 traffic will not be able to access the Michigan Street collector/distributor ramp while crews complete pavement stripping. Drivers will be able to access I-70 westbound.
- St. Clair Street will close at 10 p.m. beginning Wednesday for the demolition of the Michigan Street exit bridge. St. Clair Street will be closed between Davidson Street and the railroad tracks each night from 10 p.m.-5 p.m. INDOT expects work to be complete by Jan. 28, if weather allows. Local traffic will detour to 10th Street during the overnight closures.
- Demolition of the bridge over Central Avenue at the Pennsylvania/Meridian Street exit will begin on or after Wednesday evening. The Pennsylvania/Meridian Street exit will remain open with all four lanes of northbound I-65 shifted for bridge demolition. Central Avenue will close between 11th and 13th Streets each night from 10 p.m.-5 a.m. Work is expected to be complete by Feb. 10. Local traffic will detour to College Avenue and Alabama Street.
The construction is part of the two-year, $320 million North Split project, which will replace or repair 32 bridges over 3.1 miles of highway, reconfigure traffic patterns and condense the size of the interchange, according to an environmental assessment conducted by INDOT.
Interstates 65 and 70 between the North Split and Washington Street are expected to close in mid-May 2021. The ramps from I-70 westbound to I-65 northbound and I-65 southbound to I-70 eastbound will be open throughout the project.
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