Thousands of people have driven on Indianapolis interstates every day since they were built more than a half century ago.
Heavy use over decades has worn down Interstates 65 and 70, and the Indiana Department of Transportation is looking to modernize them.
When the interstates were first planned in the late 1950s, the state did not have to consider much beyond the direct economic effect of the highways’ location. That led to communities throughout the city, like the south side’s Babe Denny neighborhood, getting split in half by interstate construction.
This time around, INDOT launched a campaign to get public comment through its Pro Planning and Environment Linkages program, or ProPEL Indy.
Through public meetings and online comment, Indianapolis residents were able to tell the state what they wanted the new interstate planning process to look like.
ProPEL Indy received more than 1,600 comments, which it used to write a report on the options the state would have for the five sections, known as spokes, of Indianapolis’ modernized inner loop.
INDOT wants to know what you think of the draft study and is accepting public comments on it until Oct. 5.
That input will be used to write a final report, which INDOT will consider as it chooses how and when to build the new interstates.
Here’s what ProPEL Indy staff identified as the most potentially reasonable options for modernizing five spokes of I-65 and I-70.
Use the buttons to jump to details about a section of interstate.
I-65 spoke 🔝
The I-65 spoke extends from the I-465/I-65 interchange on the northwest side of Indianapolis to the 21st Street interchange.
Needs
All the pavement on this spoke and 19 bridges are expected to need major work by 2039. One section of the interstate from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street to 21st Street will need to be replaced by 2030.
What people said they want
People said they want the state to fix how I-65 traffic merges with slower traffic on 38th Street, Guion Road and Kessler Boulevard. People also want more capacity to reduce congestion between 38th Street and downtown.
Commenters also said the exits on 29th and 30th streets encourage reckless speeding through neighborhoods, including around the Indianapolis Children’s Museum.
Options identified for this spoke
The least expensive option would be to rebuild the interstate with modern materials and add minor safety and traffic improvements at the cost of $2.1 billion. A rebuild with more lanes in both directions would cost $2.2 billion.
The study also considered recessed highways, which would place the interstate below ground level like portions of I-70 near Fletcher Place and Fountain Square. The cost of recessing the entire spoke would be about $4.1 billion, about double the price of the cheapest option. All would take up to five years to build.
Another option is making that portion of I-65 into a viaduct, which would build the interstate about 20 feet higher than it is now. This option would allow green spaces and other areas to be built below the interstate but would cost about $3.9 billion and take up to six years to build.
I-70 West spoke 🔝
The I-70 West spoke extends from the I-465/I-70 interchange on the west side to just west of the West Street interchange.
Needs
All pavement on this stretch of I-70 will need major work by 2029. Two bridges — the I-70 bridge over the railroad east of Holt Road and the I-70 bridge over Kentucky Avenue — will also need major work by 2029. All other bridges on this stretch of I-70 will need major work by 2039.
What people said they want
People said they want a future interstate to reduce congestion on eastbound I-70, which experiences bumper-to-bumper traffic starting at 1 p.m. most days.
Additionally, people want INDOT to address ramps from I-70 to Harding Street and to build a signature bridge over the White River to create a memorable entry point for travelers.
Options identified for this spoke
The least expensive option for this spoke would be to rebuild the interstate with modern materials and add minor safety and traffic improvements at the cost of $1.9 billion. It would take up to four years to complete.
Adding travel lanes in both directions and rebuilding the Holt Road and Harding Street interchanges would cost $2.5 billion. This would take up to five years to build.
Another option would be to elevate the interstate 40 feet above ground between Eagle Creek and the White River to improve connectivity. The viaduct would provide three lanes in each direction, plus auxiliary lanes between Harding Street and West Street. This option would take up to seven years and cost almost $4 billion to complete.
I-65 downtown spoke 🔝
The I-65 Downtown Spoke extends from Fall Creek to the west end of the North Split interchange near Central Avenue.
Needs
All I-65 pavement and five bridges are expected to need major work before 2039. The I-65 pavement from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street to West Street and the I-65 bridge from Senate Avenue to Alabama Street will require major work before 2030.
What people said they want
People said they want interstates to have more capacity to reduce rush hour traffic, especially between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street and West Street.
People also asked ProPEL Indy to consider making the West Street entrance ramps safer and to add access ramps near Delaware, 11th, Meridian and Pennsylvania streets.
Options identified for this spoke
The least expensive option would be to rebuild the interstate with added travel lanes in about three years for $1.3 billion. Rebuilding the interstate as it currently is but with modern materials and modest traffic improvements in the same amount of time would cost $1.4 billion.
Another option is building a 55-foot high viaduct from the bridge over Fall Creek to just west of the North Split interchange with an added travel lane between the North Split and 21st Street. That would cost $2.4 billion and take up to six years to build.
The most expensive option, at $3.2 billion, would be the recessing of I-65 from south of the Fall Creek bridge to just west of the North Split interchange. That would include the addition of another lane in each direction and a one-way street system on each side of the interstate with three lanes of travel. In all, the recessing option would take up to five years to build.
I-70 downtown spoke 🔝
The I-70 Downtown Spoke extends from the White River to the South Split interchange.
Needs
All 12 bridges in the spoke are expected to need major work before 2039, and all pavement is expected to need major work by 2030.
What people said they want
People said they want more access points and exit ramps on I-70 and that existing ramps were too short, leading to quick lane changes and potential crashes.
People also said that the ease of access in and out of downtown is important for moving traffic associated with large events. People also wanted INDOT to improve the connectivity between neighborhoods south of I-70 and downtown.
Options identified for this spoke
The least expensive option for this spoke would be to rebuild the interstate as it currently is but with modern materials and modest traffic improvements. That would cost about $800 million and take two years to complete.
Adding a travel lane to both directions or adding a new local road system would cost another $100 million each and take two years to build.
Recessing the spoke from just east of the bridge over the White River to the South Split interchange and widening the interstate to four lanes in each direction would cost $2 billion and take up to three years to build.
A 40-foot high viaduct between the White River and the South Split interchange would cost about $3 billion and take up to four years to build.
I-65/70 downtown spoke 🔝
The I-65/70 Downtown Spoke extends south from Washington Street through the South Split interchange to the East Street bridge.
Needs
All pavement segments and 10 bridges on the spoke are expected to need major work before 2039. The Virginia Avenue bridge over I-65/70 and the I-65 bridge over Morris Street will require major work before 2030.
What people said they want
People said they wanted more lanes on the spoke through downtown to reduce traffic and improved signage to clarify lane assignments.
People were also concerned about the safety of the Calvary Street entrance ramp and the short distance for merging from eastbound I-70 to northbound I-65, especially during rush hour.
Options identified for this spoke
The least expensive option for this spoke would be to reconstruct portions of I-65/70 and the South Split interchange with additional lanes on some ramps at the cost of about $630 million. Construction would take about two years.
Another option for the spoke would be to improve I-65/70 and the South Split interchange in both directions and add new connections at the cost of $1.9 billion. Because the improvements would include rebuilding several bridges and would require a portion of I-65 to be rebuilt, construction would take about three years to complete.
Let them know what you think
To see the full report, head to the ProPEL Indy website.
ProPEL Indy will accept public comments online about the report until Oct. 5. To submit a comment, head to INDOT’s public comment page and fill out the form.
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Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on Bluesky at @enriquesaenz.bsky.social.
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