As any Evansville driver knows all too well, the city’s major transportation arteries — Lloyd Expressway, U.S. 41, and the Interstate 69 loop — all are under construction as fall begins.
Work at various Lloyd intersections, which include displaced left turns at multiple spots, will continue for the foreseeable future. But the Indiana Department of Transportation Southwest expects orange barrels to come off U.S. 41 and I-69 before the holiday season.
Here’s a summary of where the projects stand.
Lloyd Expressway
Let’s start with the West Side, where major changes are about to occur.
On or after Sept. 23, westbound traffic on Lloyd from Barker Avenue to just west of Posey County Line Road will move to the south side of the expressway.
Each direction of the eastbound lanes will have one lane of traffic, allowing construction on the westbound lanes, according to Nicole Minton, public outreach manager for Lloyd4U.
Westbound drivers will shift to the south side of the road near Barker Avenue, with two lanes for merging until the lane reduces near Tekoppel Avenue.
“It will be crucial for people to use the zipper merge strategy to avoid traffic backing up to St. Joseph Avenue,” Minton says. “There will be signs reminding people to fill both lanes until the merge point and a sign that reminds people to take turns at the merge point.”
Minton says a crossover will allow for westbound traffic to access the exit ramp at University Parkway. This pattern will continue until mid-2025 when it will switch to the north side of the facility during the construction of the south side.
Also on the West Side, Boehne Camp Road was to reopen by Sept. 9. It had been closed for water main relocations for the Lloyd4U project. Starting Sept. 10, Schutte Road will close north of Lloyd for water main installation.
Moving to the East Side, Minton says lane reductions continue on Lloyd between Stockwell Road and Vann Avenue as crews strengthen the shoulders of the road for future use. The work includes new median curbs and storm sewer structures.
Minton says Division Street at Stockwell Road is closed to prepare for displaced left turn lanes which upon completion will take eastbound motorists to northbound Stockwell.
The closure of Division is to last about two months.
U.S. 41
The north-south ribbon through Evansville has been disrupted most of this year between Diamond Avenue and Lloyd Expressway. INDOT Southwest describes the project as a complete roadway reconstruction.
Work is being done on the northbound lanes. The eastbound approach of Morgan Avenue is closed, allowing for reconstruction of the east side approach to U.S. 41.
“This project is on schedule and expected to finish by the end of November, depending on the weather,” says Gary Brian, public relations director for INDOT Southwest.
Interstate 69
A concrete patching project on the I-69 loop in Vanderburgh County has caused lane closures in recent weeks but is almost done, according to INDOT Southwest.
“Much of the more northern portion of this project has finished up,” Brian says. “There is work as part of this project ongoing, south of (Lloyd Expressway). These projects look to be wrapping up by the end of September. Some ramp patching work is also expected at the intersection of the Lloyd and I-69. Those projects are expected over the next few weeks.”
