INDIANAPOLIS – Interstate construction has been top-of-mind lately, with I-69 finally opening and closures on 465 creating headaches for drivers in recent weeks.
But another new project that will have a dramatic impact on drivers is less than a year away.
The “I-65 Safety and Efficiency Project” project will affect I-65 just south of downtown Indianapolis, reshaping the five-mile stretch of interstate between I-465 and Fletcher Avenue.
The Indiana Department of Transportation said construction is set to start in spring 2025. The project involves adding a travel lane on each side of the interstate.
INDOT will primarily use the existing shoulders to add capacity. When the two-year project is finished, both northbound and southbound I-65 will have four travel lanes from I-465 to I-70.
Plans call for the replacement or rehabilitation of several bridges: the Hanna Avenue bridge over I-65; the northbound bridge over Morris/Prospect Street; and bridges over Naomi Street and E. Pleasant Run (north and south) parkways.
Work will include pavement improvements, drainage enhancements and multiple bridge deck overlays. INDOT said the project is intended to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and enhance safety.
When construction starts, the agency anticipated at least two lanes of I-65 would remain open in both directions, although temporary closures would likely be needed for some interstate ramps or local streets as work progresses.
Parsons Corp. is the lead project development and design firm. INDOT held a series of public hearings about the project, with the most recent one on July 24. The public comment ended on Aug. 9. You can find INDOT’s overview of the project here.
