INDOT: U.S. 31 delays will be worth the wait

By Dustin Grove (grove@wsbt.com)

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Traffic was stopped for 20 minutes at a time on U.S. 31 in Marshall County as work continues to upgrade the corridor to a freeway. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jun 9, 2009 at 3:20 PM EST

Story Updated: Jun 9, 2009 at 4:27 PM EST

MARSHALL CO. — Drivers on U.S. 31 didn't get anywhere fast in Marshall County Tuesday. State transportation workers periodically stopped northbound traffic for 20 minutes at a time as crews worked on an overpass project.

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While the work isn't finished yet, Indiana’s Department of Transportation says it will be well worth the wait.

It’s part of the Major Moves project to upgrade U.S. 31 to a limited access freeway.

Tuesday morning, crews hoisted 58-ton concrete beams onto the overpass at 6th Road in Marshall County. Traffic slowed to a crawl during the process.

Eventually, state officials said there will be no intersections; only interchanges. INDOT spokesperson Joshua Bingham said the goal is to make for a smoother drive and to cut down on the risk of accidents.

“It’s good for safety because it reduces the points of conflict where vehicles could collide with each other,” said Bingham.

The Plymouth-to-South Bend section of the new highway is scheduled to be complete by 2015. A Kokomo bypass is also scheduled to be finished about then, along with a segment in Hamilton County. The gaps in between are in the long term plan to be filled, but there is currently no set timetable.

Lane closures are expected again for a two-day period next month in Marshall County when crews finish an overpass at Plymouth/Goshen Trail.

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