Get out and vote! Today is the last day to vote for the Grand Valley Boulevard bridge in America’s Transportation Awards. The bridge over the new I-69 in Martinsville was the first new I-69 Finish Line bridge to open to traffic. It’s one of twelve finalists and can take top honors with your help. Click the red bar at the top of the Finish Line website to cast your vote.
The new bridge is already a regional winner in the quality of life/community development award category for small projects. It’s also up for two national awards, which will be announced later this week at the annual meeting of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials. The Grand Prize winner is selected by a panel of transportation experts and the People’s Choice Award is decided by you, the public. Thanks for your votes!
- Contractors are moving literally tons of material near State Road 252. Loads of dirt used for compaction are being hauled across S.R. 252 for placement back onto the neighboring hillside.
- Tons of asphalt and concrete are also moving this week for the new S.R. 252 ramps and the new I-69 bridge decks overhead.
- S.R. 252/Hospital Drive traffic has shifted north near the new I-69. This allows crews to complete construction of the new roadway and roundabouts.
- Further north, crews expect to reopen Banta Road south of S.R. 37 by mid-November. Banta Road will remain closed north of S.R. 37.
- Later this week, crews expect to begin milling and repaving local roads along S.R. 37 north of S.R. 144. This includes Huggin Hollow Road and Waverly Park Road (Old S.R. 37) where waterlines were installed. It also includes Jay Dee Lane near Travis Road.
- Road crews expect to shift S.R. 37 traffic toward the center median next week between Smith Valley Road and Olive Branch Road. The traffic shift and completion of local access roads will permanently close Olive Branch/County Road 800 N at S.R. 37 in the coming weeks.
- Drivers should slow down during heavy rains and stay alert for standing water, especially at night. Narrow shoulders and concrete barriers in the work zone mean less room for water to drain and less margin for driver error.
- Nighttime lane closures after 9 p.m. and 20-minute traffic stoppages after 11 p.m. continue this week at two locations. Contractors continue building the vertical piers for the Keystone Avenue bridge along I-465 westbound and installing temporary barriers along S.R. 37 southbound from Epler Avenue to Southport Road. Lane closures are expected to be lifted by 5 a.m. each morning
- As weather allows, expect to see increased construction activity along S.R. 37 just north of Southport Road and along I-465 between Mann Road and S.R. 37/Harding Street. Crews are moving dirt for new ramps, bridges and utility lines.
The actual starting date and duration for work and any closures may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen activities occur.
