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In this photo taken in April crews set a beam for a bridge over St. Clair Street in downtown Indianapolis as part of the North Split Project.
Provided by Indiana Department of TransportationINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The two interstate routes through downtown Indianapolis are now cut in two for a reconstruction project that highway officials expect will take 18 months to complete.
The closure that started Saturday allows traffic on Interstates 70 and 65 to reach the city’s downtown, but through traffic is blocked as crews rebuild a portion of the route the two highways share.
State highway officials recommend that any drivers traveling through the Indianapolis area use I-465 as a detour route.
A major portion of the $320 million project is rebuilding what is known at the North Split, the northern interchange that brings the two highways together on the eastern edge of downtown Indianapolis.
“We’re literally building everything up from the ground. Replacing all of these bridges — over 40 bridges — and all new pavement,” state highway department spokeswoman Mallory Duncan said. “When it’s done, this interchange is going to be a lot safer, a lot less congested.”
Work on the project is expected to continue until fall 2022.
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