Contractors walk off of I-69 section 5 jobsite

[CountryBoy19]

Daniels pushed for it and used Major moves to get it funded. Pretty sure Pence signed off on the contract with the private company to finance and build section 5. It causes problems for more than the Nimbys, it is causing problems for anyone who uses 37 daily and is really going to cause problems for people going to the IU games this year.

Daniels found a way to pay for it without major financial impact to the state at the time. Ultimately it boiled down to the state making out like bandits on the toll-road and using the money to improve infrastructure.

That being said, I can't quite figure out where the brunt of your dislike lies. Is it with the long-term impacts or the short-term inconveniences? Or both? Is it only with the Bloomington to Indy sections or all of it?

The fact of the matter is, highways, especially interstates attract businesses and make them operate more efficiently. More businesses and more efficient businesses not only benefit the people of the state but also the state itself in higher tax revenues. Of course, you can't put the cart before the horse; the infrastructure (highways included) must come first. We are already seeing operational improvements for businesses on the sections of I69 that have been open for a few years now. While it could be argued that SR37 was a perfectly functional 4-lane highway and we didn't need to upgrade it to I69, it would be asinine and short-sighted to not do it. Maybe the upgrade is pre-mature, I don't know. But you can't have an interstate highway that stretches across 80% of the state and have a regular 4-lane smack in the middle and expect things to flow smoothly. Traffic will only continue to build on that stretch of 4-lane; making it more hazardous.

Lastly, regarding the inconvenience, it comes with the territory of road-work. Yes, it's inconvenient, yes it sucks for people that have to travel it daily. But you generally can't grow without some form of growing pains. For those that don't have to travel it on a fixed schedule, it's not that bad off-peak. Mid-morning, mid-afternoon, late evenings and early morning hours and the traffic all flows pretty smooth (it is a bit slowed because of the decrease speed limit, but it's still smooth). I travel it north of Bloomington on a monthly basis, and to Bloomington on a weekly basis. It has already helped traffic flow much more smoothly on the south side of Bloomington; that will only improve as time goes on.

 

[MuttX7]

Maybe a little biased here?

I worked at a business on highway 37 north of Martinsville in 1990, 15 years before Mitch. Part of the known business plan at that time was the I69 extension.

They have been talking about building it a lot longer than that. Daniels made the funding possible to build it with his Major Moves program and leasing the toll road and like I said before, Pence signed off on allowing a contractor to fund and build section 5. So I guess if stating the facts make me biased so be it.

 

[bwframe]

They have been talking about building it a lot longer than that. Daniels made the funding possible to build it with his Major Moves program and leasing the toll road and like I said before, Pence signed off on allowing a contractor to fund and build section 5. So I guess if stating the facts make me biased so be it.

Oh, so Mitch and Mike should have just said no to the construction?

 

[MuttX7]

Oh, so Mitch and Mike should have just said no to the construction?

Why do something at all if you're gonna do it half-assed and use a contractor with a shady history? Other than cutting the travel time to Evansville, what is the road even good for? Why did we even need it?

 

[Cameramonkey]

Why do something at all if you're gonna do it half-assed and use a contractor with a shady history? Other than cutting the travel time to Evansville, Memphis, Shreveport Houston, and all points in between what is the road even good for? Why did we even need it?

FIFY.

Its for a faster flow of goods between Detroit and Brownsville and to speed up commerce as part of NAFTA.

 

[bwframe]

Why do something at all if you're gonna do it half-assed and use a contractor with a shady history? Other than cutting the travel time to Evansville, what is the road even good for? Why did we even need it?

Gotcha. This explains your beef.

This'll likely get solved when the high $ IU alum miss a few ballgames while sitting in traffic.

 

[MuttX7]

Daniels found a way to pay for it without major financial impact to the state at the time. Ultimately it boiled down to the state making out like bandits on the toll-road and using the money to improve infrastructure.

That being said, I can't quite figure out where the brunt of your dislike lies. Is it with the long-term impacts or the short-term inconveniences? Or both? Is it only with the Bloomington to Indy sections or all of it?

The fact of the matter is, highways, especially interstates attract businesses and make them operate more efficiently. More businesses and more efficient businesses not only benefit the people of the state but also the state itself in higher tax revenues. Of course, you can't put the cart before the horse; the infrastructure (highways included) must come first. We are already seeing operational improvements for businesses on the sections of I69 that have been open for a few years now. While it could be argued that SR37 was a perfectly functional 4-lane highway and we didn't need to upgrade it to I69, it would be asinine and short-sighted to not do it. Maybe the upgrade is pre-mature, I don't know. But you can't have an interstate highway that stretches across 80% of the state and have a regular 4-lane smack in the middle and expect things to flow smoothly. Traffic will only continue to build on that stretch of 4-lane; making it more hazardous.

Lastly, regarding the inconvenience, it comes with the territory of road-work. Yes, it's inconvenient, yes it sucks for people that have to travel it daily. But you generally can't grow without some form of growing pains. For those that don't have to travel it on a fixed schedule, it's not that bad off-peak. Mid-morning, mid-afternoon, late evenings and early morning hours and the traffic all flows pretty smooth (it is a bit slowed because of the decrease speed limit, but it's still smooth). I travel it north of Bloomington on a monthly basis, and to Bloomington on a weekly basis. It has already helped traffic flow much more smoothly on the south side of Bloomington; that will only improve as time goes on.

The design is pure ****. The merge point of 37 and 69 North and South bound are both accidents waiting to happen and as it is, I have seen an accident at both interchanges and a ton of near misses. Using shoulders as a main road has caused problems as well. Drive north bound from Victor Pike in the right hand lane and tell me how safe the lane is. The police who do sit on the south side suddenly decided to enforce the law once Section 4 was opened but were never around before. I know some people who had to fight to be paid for their land while others were given way more than their land was worth, given the land back, can use the land for whatever, and never had to pay a dime back. This highway also has minimum interchanges, so I wonder where and how this is going to build business up? It is funny how they always say projects like this will bring a lot of jobs to town and yet the majority of the contractors are from out of state.

The road I work was closed over a year ago, was supposed to be opened recently and will not actually be opened until next year sometime ( if even then since no one is working on it). The side roads which are now seeing more traffic because of construction are torn to hell and probably will not be repaired for months ( something the I69 partnership is supposed to take care of).
One employee of a contractor working on the road told us last year they were way behind schedule and would not complete the road as scheduled. They had fired one of them employees as he was unable to walk the terrain being graded and was allowing the guys running the machines to fill out his reports. They have already had to go grind down the joints where the highway joins bridges farther south as the soil was not compacted properly and the bridges have sunk. They only have the Fullerton Pike interchange and Vernal Pike overpass half done, the Tapp Road interchange has barely been started, and the 2nd and 3rd street overpass improvements haven't been started yet. There is no way section 5 will be completed before 2018.

 

[MuttX7]

FIFY.

Its for a faster flow of goods between Detroit and Brownsville and to speed up commerce as part of NAFTA.

They still make stuff in Detroit?

 

[david890]

Not paying the contractors?

Someone has been reading Trump's book. Odds are they come back with a "70% or nothing" offer and Crider & Crider won't be in a position to refuse. Maximizing profit also means minimizing loss.

 

[CampingJosh]

Other than cutting the travel time to Evansville, what is the road even good for? Why did we even need it?

Other than speeding travel, what is any road for?

 

[MuttX7]

Not paying the contractors?

Someone has been reading Trump's book. Odds are they come back with a "70% or nothing" offer and Crider & Crider won't be in a position to refuse. Maximizing profit also means minimizing loss.

Now we play the blame game. It's not Isolux's fault, it's the state's fault.
http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.town...-11e6-96a9-d7ac66edcf03/57d1f962a3dfe.pdf.pdf

 

[Cameramonkey]

They still make stuff in Detroit?

No but there are at least 3 points of entry to Canada there. (tunnel, bridge, and hazmat ferry)

 

[CountryBoy19]

The design is pure ****.

And your qualifications for roadway design are?

The merge point of 37 and 69 North and South bound are both accidents waiting to happen and as it is, I have seen an accident at both interchanges and a ton of near misses. Using shoulders as a main road has caused problems as well. Drive north bound from Victor Pike in the right hand lane and tell me how safe the lane is. The police who do sit on the south side suddenly decided to enforce the law once Section 4 was opened but were never around before.

You do realize that the current interchange is only temporary until construction is completed right? You also realize that construction zone speed limits are designed to reduce speed to make reduce risk and hazards caused by the odd traffic patterns, congested traffic, and other hazards found in construction zones. The fact that people do not obey those limits or properly adhere to the traffic flow patterns likely has more to do with accidents than all other factors combined. And the fact that you've seen accidents there means nothing. I've seen NUMEROUS accidents at the stoplight near my house, 10 miles away from the construction, that doesn't mean the design is bad, or that the stoplight is somehow a waste of money, or the highway was a big mess-up, it simply means that people do stupid things, make mistakes, or crap sometimes just happens.

I know some people who had to fight to be paid for their land while others were given way more than their land was worth, given the land back, can use the land for whatever, and never had to pay a dime back.

Thus is life with any large-scale project. I would be curious to see some data on people that lost their land, got paid, and then got the land back for free... something tells me that's not legal.

This highway also has minimum interchanges, so I wonder where and how this is going to build business up? It is funny how they always say projects like this will bring a lot of jobs to town and yet the majority of the contractors are from out of state.

That is the point of a limited access highway. Limited interchanges or not, business will build. If you doubt that then I don't think you have a good grasp on how our economy actually works and how it is projected to grow in the future.

The road I work was closed over a year ago, was supposed to be opened recently and will not actually be opened until next year sometime ( if even then since no one is working on it). The side roads which are now seeing more traffic because of construction are torn to hell and probably will not be repaired for months ( something the I69 partnership is supposed to take care of).
One employee of a contractor working on the road told us last year they were way behind schedule and would not complete the road as scheduled. They had fired one of them employees as he was unable to walk the terrain being graded and was allowing the guys running the machines to fill out his reports. They have already had to go grind down the joints where the highway joins bridges farther south as the soil was not compacted properly and the bridges have sunk. They only have the Fullerton Pike interchange and Vernal Pike overpass half done, the Tapp Road interchange has barely been started, and the 2nd and 3rd street overpass improvements haven't been started yet. There is no way section 5 will be completed before 2018.

Now we get to the real beef... you're just upset that you've been inconvenienced...

I too have been inconvenienced... but I will also see great benefit when its done, so I'm willing to sacrifice a bit now to reap the reward in the end. Some people just don't get that, they gotta have it now, now, NOW.

Lastly, as far as I'm concerned this is my last thread-jack post here. I don't care to argue the merits of the interstate highway system with somebody that doesn't understand the benefits that easy highway access brings to the economy...

 

[MuttX7]

I bow to your obvious greater intelligence. It is all about inconvenience and my ignorance. .Here's a parting gift.
http://www.hecweb.org/wp-content/up...ion_State_paid_twice_what_some_I_69_land_.pdf

 

[Cameramonkey]

Other than speeding travel, what is any road for?

Speaking of speeding travel...

I'll be selfish; I cant wait for it to get past southport road. To say that intersection is a cluster**** is an understatement. On a good day NOT during rush hour, expect it to take you 3 light cycles to make it through the intersection westbound. Traffic backs up about 100 yards or so and the light is so short for Southport not many cars make it through. Not sure why eastbound isnt as bad. And during rush hour? It can take 15 minutes or more to make it through the light.

I cant wait until its an overpass where southport traffic can pass unimpeded.

Right now the only time it is reasonable to cross 37 wesbound is well... NOW. Middle of the night. More than 10 cars in line and somebody isnt getting through.

 

[Moparracer89]

Id be curious to know how many posters in here are actually directly affected by the project vs outside commentary. In my case, my access road to 37 will be blocked off. A new access point will be created thus funneling all traffic from 3-4 miles south and 3-4 miles north onto a single road behind my house. Call me ignorant but I had no knowledge of the project or its route when I bought my house.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Id be curious to know how many posters in here are actually directly affected by the project vs outside commentary. In my case, my access road to 37 will be blocked off. A new access point will be created thus funneling all traffic from 3-4 miles south and 3-4 miles north onto a single road behind my house.

Directly affected in what way? Have I had to deal with unusual traffic patterns, lane restrictions, and slower traffic with the construction? Yes
Is it in my backyard? No
Will I see benefit from it? Absolutely, my travel time to Indy will be cut by 15 minutes once it is complete all the way to 465.

Call me ignorant but I had no knowledge of the project or its route when I bought my house.

 

[bwframe]

A rough look at the posters on this thread looks as if the most are effected by 37/69.

For me, I'm anxious to shave time and "stupid driver" aggravation off of my trips to Indy/Evansville. I just hope I can live long enough to make up for all time wasted sitting in construction traffic.

 

[kawtech87]

My family has owned and operated a fairly successful small business right in the path of 69 for more than 30 years now. To say we are following this project closely would be an understatement. Any delay in this highway coming through is a good thing IMHO.

 

[Gary119]

Seems people aren't looking at the complete picture. As stated above what about the people that have farmed this land for 50 years? The farm is gone, the homestead is gone, the small businesses are gone. After the by-passes came through walk down any small town street and look at the stores that used to be, someone worked hard for all this now it is all gone to save someone 15 minutes. Ask these people how they feel. To save some one 15 minutes twice a week we will cost these people that live here their livelihood, yea that sounds good.

If the would bring back the railroad look at how many trucks would no longer be on the road, less congestion, the tracks are there. The idea of building at on ramps sounds like a Wal-Mart mentality, "we will bring in jobs". No the jobs will just be moved around. I know who will want to work at a mom and pop place when there is a Wal-Mart they can work at? Right? Travel 465 at rush hour, how many more vehicles can they add before 465 is the bottle neck? Not very many!