Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Force Construction plans to close lanes of Interstate 65 to complete milling, paving and striping ahead of a traffic shift in Bartholomew County.

Closures are scheduled between State Road 58 and State Road 46 as follows, weather permitting:

• Tuesday (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.): Right lane of southbound I-65 closed for milling of shoulder corrugations
• Wednesday and Thursday (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Right lane of southbound I-65 closed for shoulder paving
• Week of March 22 (day and night): Various lane closures on northbound and southbound I-65 for striping and barrier wall installation
• Week of March 29 (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.): Various lane closures on northbound and southbound I-65 for barrier wall installation

Traffic is expected to shift to its new configuration the week of March 29 following installation of barrier wall throughout the project limits. Northbound traffic will remain as is, and southbound will be moved to the existing right lane and shoulder with an 11-foot width restriction. Trucks will need to use the left lane for travel, and a 55 mph speed limit will be in effect for the entire stretch of I-65.

Also Tuesday, the inside left turn lane on eastbound State Road 46 will close at the I-65 interchange in Columbus. The closure will continue to the inside left lane on the ramp to northbound I-65 for guardrail repair and is expected to be removed the following week.

Milling, paving and striping on southbound I-65 is the start of mainline work on a $65 million contract that includes the addition of a third travel lane between State Road 58 and State Road 46, bridge widening and rehabilitation, structure replacement and asphalt resurfacing from the Driftwood River Bridge to U.S. 31 at Taylorsville.

The traffic shift is the first major configuration change planned for the project and will remain in place through mid-summer. The contract was awarded in October and is expected to be complete in 2023.