This lengthy, multi-phase undertaking will cost an estimated $7 million and take several months to complete. The initial leg of the project affects a two-mile stretch of highway south of Martinsville near Indian Creek and should be completed by Oct. 15. The second phase of the project will extend north of State Road 44, but construction won’t begin until next spring.
According to INDOT Spokesperson Harry Maginity, the project quickly came to development because of the relatively poor state of the highway.
“There are numerous locations in the road where pavement has failed and needs to be fixed,” he said. “This is beyond a normal resurfacing project.”
The restoration process is cumbersome for this project because the amount of patching that needs to be done is substantial, and it has to be completed by the October deadline. In the meantime, drivers should expect bumpy roads and delays, Maginity said.
For commuters to and from Bloomington, this could mean congestion and some bumpy roads. According to Maginity, regular weekday commuters and individuals traveling to Bloomington for game days shouldn’t have to worry about traffic delays.
“We want to be out of the way before any significant traffic. When we do the actual paving, we will pave weeknights, but there will be a lane open at all times,” he said. “There will not be any lane closures on game days. All of the work will be done on weekends and perhaps some week nights.”
When the project resumes in the spring, workers will begin the milling process and eventually replace the top surface of the road.
“We will come back after we get all the patching done and mill down the surface of the roadway,” he said. “We’re also doing a function overlay, which means bringing in an intermediate level of asphalt and topping it off at the surface.”
Maginity said that while the amount of work might exceed a normal resurfacing project, the highway should remain in decent condition for several years after this section is completed.
