The Indiana Department of Transportation tapped Superior Construction, of Portage, to provide general contractor preconstruction services for its $290 million flex road project on the Borman Expressway.
In a Monday release, INDOT said the preconstruction phase would begin in April.
The Borman stretch from Interstate 65 west to Illinois, is the busiest interstate in Indiana with about 200,000 vehicles traveling it daily, including thousands of tractor-trailers.
The project is aimed at lessening traffic congestion, accidents and slowdowns by using technology to alert motorists to road conditions.
Construction is tentatively expected to be completed in 2028. Four lanes of the Borman are slated to remain open during the project.
The first step is the laying of fiber optic cables to enable digital signage and other communication improvements.
Last year, INDOT received a $127 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the project.
Part of the project will include large overhead digital alerts to notify motorists of closed lanes ahead. Motorists will be urged to merge rather than waiting and triggering delays.
The signs could also warn motorists to slow down because of an accident ahead.
Ramp metering, another strategy, involves the installation of traffic lights at the base of on-ramps alerting motorists when it’s safe to merge. Some Chicago expressways are already using ramp metering.
Other improvements focus on turning an auxiliary lane between Grant Street and Broadway into a fifth lane during periods of heavy traffic and removing the existing northbound ramp on Broadway from the Borman.
Also being considered is the expansion of the southbound I-65 exit from two lanes to three.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
