Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, August 24, 2017
(UNDATED) - Governor Eric J. Holcomb and Indiana Department of Transportation kicked off Indiana’s Next Level Roads initiative and shared construction plans for the first five years of a new 20-year program to improve Indiana’s roads and bridges.
State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) discusses the state's new road funding plan and staying safe in the many construction zones popping up across Indiana.
In May, Gov. Holcomb asked INDOT to provide a list of projects to begin and complete in the next five years to maintain Indiana's position as the Crossroads of America.
The road construction plan for the first five years of Indiana's Next Level Roads initiative outlines specific INDOT projects that will preserve existing roads and bridges, finish current projects and invest in Indiana's overall transportation system. The plan outlines approximately $4.7 billion in total investment over the next five years - resurfacing nearly 10,000 lane miles of pavement and repairing or replacing approximately 1,300 bridges.
Beyond this initial, five-year investment in state (INDOT) projects, the Next Level Roads initiative provides an additional $342 million annually to support Indiana cities, towns and counties for local road projects by 2024.
"This much-needed and massive investment means there will be many road construction zones, slower traffic, and orange cones and barrels in every part of our state," said INDOT Commissioner McGuinness. "I encourage Hoosiers and visitors to plan alternate routes and be mindful of work-zone safety precautions. The long-term benefits gained in safety, mobility and growth outweigh the short-term inconveniences, because the results will be reduced congestion, smooth highways, improved safety, and better roads and bridges across Indiana--for residents and visitors alike."
With the bipartisan passage of HEA 1002, Indiana has a fully-funded plan to operate, maintain and improve every state road and bridge--a fact almost no other state can claim. INDOT is also working with local communities to create similar plans for local roads and bridges and will award funding for local projects through its Community Crossings initiative in the coming months.
To view the construction plan for the first five years of Indiana's Next Level Roads initiative by project, by county or by statewide totals, visit www.in.gov/indot/.
Awareness is needed by both motorist and workers while in the work zone.
On average since 2014, at least 12 people have been killed each year in INDOT roadway work zone crashes. Eighty percent of those killed are motorists or their passengers.
In calendar year 2017, INDOT will oversee more than 300 construction contracts totaling more than $1 billion in capital investment. The agency will resurface 3,047 lane miles of pavement; work on 41 capital projects aimed at improving traffic mobility and safety; and modernize or improve dozens of interchanges and intersections across the state. INDOT and its contractors will also rehabilitate or construct 486 bridges and small structures.
Current work zones and real-time traffic conditions are also available on INDOT's TrafficWise map.
INDOT urges drivers to follow these safety tips to keep our work zones safe:
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