New U.S. 31 to Open Today

US 31Expect traffic delays today as traffic shifts to the new U.S. 31 between South Bend and Plymouth.

INDOT crews will begin changing traffic to the new alignment of U.S. 31 after 9 a.m. ET. Traffic may be slowed or stopped as crews move barricades, barrels and other traffic control devices. To avoid delays, avoid access points for the new U.S. 31 until after 1 p.m. ET today.

Three interchanges will open today. Those interchanges are located at Kern Road in South Bend, State Road 4 in Lakeville and U.S. 6 in LaPaz. A fourth interchange will open once construction at 7th Road near Plymouth is finished later this year.

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INDOT Closes Portions of U.S. 31

 
 

Access from multiple side roads to U.S. 31 in St. Joseph County will be limited through the end of the year. Indiana Department of transportation officials say the closures are necessary as the new U.S. 31 construction is tied in to the existing U.S. 31. Motorists can still access U.S. 31 by way of Main Street, Kern Road and Ireland Road. However, crews will shut down access to U.S. 31 from Jewell Avenue, Hildebrand Street, Yoder Street, Dice Street, Pulling Street, Gilmer Street, Pasadena Avenue Detroit Avenue, and Lucinda Street.

 

INDOT Announces LaPorte County Road Project

 
 

Lanes on U.S. 35/Pine Lake Avenue between State Road 39 and the bridge over the railroad in downtown LaPorte will be restricted for the next few nights so road repairs can be made. Work will begin around 6 each evening, according to a news release from INDOT. Crews will first prepare the pavement by grinding. Continue reading

INDOT to Close SR 23 for Chip Sealing

 
 

Motorists who take State Road 23 through Walkerton will need to find a new route for the next few days. INDOT is closing the road between U.S. 30 and U.S. 6 to perform chip and fog sealing. The process preserves the road surface. INDOT officials stress the work is dependent on dry weather and may be delayed if conditions are not ideal. Southbound motorists can take U.S. 6 south to U.S. 35 and east to U.S. 30 to get around the closure. Northbound motorists can use the opposite route. Continue reading

Road Closed in Starke County

SR 23 is closed at Toto Road after a sinkhole developed about a quarter of a mile north.
SR 23 is closed at Toto Road after a sinkhole developed about a quarter of a mile north.
23 Sinkhole 2
This is the view from 23 looking south toward Toto Road. INDOT officials have not indicated how long the road will be closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A road in Starke County is closed due to damage. A large sinkhole has opened on State Road 23 a quarter-mile north of Toto Road. That’s just south of Ober. Barracades  are set up in both directions.  INDOT officials have not released a timetable of when the road would be opened. There’s also no word yet on what caused it to develop.

 

INDOT Seeks ADA Advisory Group Members

 
 

The Indiana Department of Transportation is seeking applicants for its Americans with Disabilities Act Community Advisory Working Group.

Inaugural members whose two-year terms expire at the end of June are encouraged to reapply. Potential new members also have a chance to apply. Membership is open to any individual, as INDOT wants representatives from a broad cross-section of the state. Individuals with disabilities, disability advocates or individuals who provide services to persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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INDOT to Close Part of State Road 23 Through Mid-June

 
 

Motorists who travel through Walkerton on State Road 23 will need to find a new route for the next several weeks. Starting tomorrow, INDOT is closing 23 between Union Road and County Road 900 North, just south of Walkerton so crews can replace a small structure in the roadway. Southbound SR 23 drivers will be detoured west on U.S. 6, south on U.S. 35 and east on U.S. 30 to get back to 23. Northbound traffic will go west on 30, north on 35, east on 6 and back to 23 to bypass the construction. INDOT can only use state roads for detours. The project should be finished in mid-June, according to INDOT officials.

Knox City Council Approves Street Sweeping, Garbage Collection Contracts

Knox-City-HallThe Knox City Council approved a contract with INDOT to conduct street sweeping on U.S. 35. This is an annual contract where INDOT sweeps the highway twice a year at a cost of $1,444 per year for four years for a total of $5,766.

The council also approved a contract extension with Waste Management to continue garbage collection in the city for the next two years. The contract, which would begin Aug. 1, would be at a decreased rate of $13 per household and when the contract begins Aug. 1, 2015 the cost would increase to $13.36 per household. All other aspects of the previous contract would stay the same.

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Local Detour Available to Bypass U.S. 35 Construction

 
 

Motorists traveling between Knox and Winamac on U.S. 35 can avoid taking the long way around during the next few weeks of road work. INDOT has closed the highway from 850 S. to the Starke/Pulaski County line in order to replace a culvert. The state’s marked detour sends drivers west on 10, south on 39 and back east on 14 because INDOT can only use roads maintained by the state to divert traffic. Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says drivers heading south on 35 can turn left on 800 S., right on 600 East and right on 900 S. to get past the construction and back to U.S. 35. Northbound motorists can follow that route in reverse. Ritzler says those roads are paved and are more suited to heavy traffic. He says several drivers have used 850 S. and 400 E. to get around the construction. Those roads are gravel and are becoming rutted. The project should wrap up by the end of the month, weather permitting.

INDOT’s Trash Bash Underway

 
 

With the spring season finally upon us, cleaning of our highways and byways will be getting underway.

INDOT’s annual Trash Bash will be running throughout this month and coincides with National Earth Day to aid in raising awareness of litter. Over 20,000 bags of trash were collected by INDOT maintenance crews, Indiana Department of Correction offender crews, and Adopt-A-Highway volunteers last year.

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Asphalt Plants to Open Later This Spring, Pothole Patching Continues

 
 

As temperatures continue to improve and we move further into the spring season, construction projects are beginning and pothole patching continues. The asphalt plants will soon open to create product.

Asphalt plants will be opening a little later this season due to the unusually difficult winter. INDOT representatives have been told that the cold and poor traveling conditions have delayed prep work for the summer paving season. The prep work is necessary before the plants can open.

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Two INDOT Road Projects Scheduled

 
 

Two road construction projects in the Kankakee Valley will hamper travel for a few days.

According to INDOT Northwest Media Relations Coordinator Matt Deitchley, U.S. 35 between Knox and Winamac will be closed for 10 to 20 days for a pipe replacement. Deitchley said the closure should begin at State Road 10 and go south. The project is expected to begin on Monday, April 14.

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Remember Laws When Posting Political Signs

 
 

Candidates seeking office in the May Primary Election and who are posting campaign signs should be reminded that the signs can not be placed in a right-of-way space.

Political signs should be within private property. Signs shall be permitted to be displayed no more than 90 days prior to the scheduled election and shall be removed within 14 days after the Primary Election.

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Applications for Federal Funding for Transportation Projects to be Accepted Soon

 
 
The Indiana Department of Transportation will soon be accepting applications for $86 million in federal transportation funding. Applications from cities, towns and counties will be taken beginning April 14.

INDOT was awarded the money in February for local transportation projects to be bid in July 2016. This round of funding is for projects that would be designed, developed and have purchased land according to federal standards prior to bid during the fiscal year beginning July 2017.

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Political Signs May Be Posted, Know the Guidelines

  
 
Political signs are being posted around the Starke County and surrounding areas but candidates need to follow the guidelines of the state and local laws to make sure the signs are being properly placed.

Political signs may not be posted on a highway right-of-way, utility poles, or any person’s property without the property owner’s permission. Placing political signs with the approval of the property owner may be subject to local zoning regulations. If a sign is placed in a highway right-of-way, INDOT crews will remove the sign and you may retrieve it at the nearest INDOT facility.

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