On Track: I-69 Finish Line Project Update

This spring is shaping up to be very busy as the project nears the Finish Line.  In early March crews set the first beams in the system interchange.  Around the same time the former fire station at Smith Valley Road started coming down, the last property demolition on the entire I-69 corridor from Evansville to Indianapolis.

Smith Valley Road saw another milestone when crews poured the deck on the overpass bridge on March 2.  That bridge deck is the last one to be poured over existing S.R. 37, future I-69.  It joins new overpass/interchange bridges at Grand Valley Boulevard and S.R. 44 in Martinsville; Teeters Road, Myra Lane, Henderson Ford Road, Perry Road, Waverly Road and S.R. 144 in Morgan and Johnson counties; and County Line Road, Southport Road and Epler Avenue in Marion County.

Bridge deck pours have many moving parts and crews generally start before sunrise and work through the day. Specialized pump trucks assist in delivering material to the elevated structure as crews work to lay freshly poured concrete into the framework of a new bridge. Multiple crewmembers follow in behind to evenly distribute and smooth the material before the concrete hardens.

Check out this short highlight video that gets viewers in on the action! The new Smith Valley Road bridge over future I-69 is expected to open later this summer. The full interchange will be operational by the end of the year. 

Stay up to date on all project news and events by following @I69FinishLIne on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

• Motorists should expect single-lane and nightly double-lane closures on I-465 between I-65 and I-70 on the city's southwest side this week. Crews will be prepping for the second weekend of I-465 restrictions scheduled for later this month. Click here to view graphics of the upcoming restrictions.
• With the weekend restrictions mentioned in the bullet above, the following ramps will be closed to ease congestion and reduce traffic flow in the work zone: 
  • Eastbound I-70 to southbound I-465
  • S.R. 67 (Kentucky Avenue) to eastbound I-465 
  • Mann Road to eastbound I-465 
  • S.R. 37 (Harding Street) to eastbound I-465
  • U.S. 31 (East Street) southbound ramp to westbound I-465 will remain closed through 2024. 

• The former White River Township Fire station in Greenwood was dismantled late last week. The fire department moved into a new facility in 2021 and the old station housed the I-69 project team. Click here to watch a short video on White River's new fire station.
• A Johnson County project located east of I-69 on Peterson Road is expected to begin early this week. Click here to learn more about the neighboring project.