FRANKFORT, Ind. — Drivers around Frankfort and Lebanon are seeing the payoff of a heavy construction season: a new traffic signal at the I-65 southbound ramps at State Road 28 is now on, the County Road 750 North bridge over Cripe Run near Rossville is open, and the new I-65/U.S. 52 interchange near Lebanon has opened well ahead of schedule.
Blake Dollier, public relations director for the Indiana Department of Transportation’s West Central District, laid out the list Friday morning on Party Line, heard on WILO 96.9 FM, Boone 102.7 FM and AM 1570.
In Clinton County, the new signal at the I-65 southbound ramps and S.R. 28 just west of Frankfort is “complete and operational,” Dollier said. INDOT had scheduled the activation for on or after Oct. 15. “Pre-final inspection and punch-list work remains,” he said. “Lane closures will be likely in that area.”
The C.R. 750 N bridge over Cripe Run, closed since mid-May for replacement, is now open. “The crews did a great job,” Dollier said of the local project, built with federal funding under INDOT oversight.
On U.S. 421/S.R. 39 between County Road 800 and S.R. 26, the highway has been patched and reopened. Utility relocation work during the week of Nov. 9 will mean single-lane closures or flagging, and remaining work is not expected until spring.
South of Frankfort on U.S. 52, turn-lane work continues at the C.R. 700 and C.R. 575 intersections, with lane and crossover closures and a November completion timeframe, Dollier said. INDOT’s records describe the project as running from C.R. 400 S in Tippecanoe County to C.R. 700 S in Clinton County. “It’s that race against the clock, and as long as weather permits, we’re going to keep chugging along,” Dollier said.
On I-65, patching between S.R. 28 and S.R. 38 is done at night to reduce hazards and congestion, and a one-evening closure of the S.R. 28 exit ramp is expected within days for patch work. INDOT notices show overnight lane and ramp closures on southbound I-65 near S.R. 28 beginning on or after Oct. 27.
Boone County: S.R. 32 Realignment and a New Interchange
West of Lebanon, the S.R. 32 realignment between Garrofolo Boulevard and C.R. 500 W continues with lane closures and traffic pattern shifts. Enterprise Boulevard is open, but access from C.R. 250 W, C.R. 200 W and C.R. 50 N remains closed, along with C.R. 400 W between S.R. 32 and C.R. 25 N. The new alignment is expected to open in mid-2027, with lane closures into next summer and fall and an S.R. 32 closure in spring 2027 to tie in the new roadway.
The headliner: the new I-65/U.S. 52 interchange at Exit 143 — a diverging diamond — is open to traffic, months ahead of the original timeline. “One of the most spectacular accelerations in a project that we’ve probably seen in the history of our district,” Dollier said, noting the full-completion estimate had been 2028. All ramps at 52 and 65 are open, but a stretch of U.S. 52 just south of the interchange remains closed while crews tie in the new south connector, with reopening expected in the coming weeks. Occasional punch-list lane closures will continue.
Nighttime lane closures are also possible on I-865/I-65 for shoulder and fiber-optic work.
Overnight Pothole Repairs on I-65
INDOT maintenance crews have overnight pothole repairs on I-65 between mile markers 146 and 158 (S.R. 47 to S.R. 28) planned for the coming week, starting as soon as Sunday night, weather permitting:
Dollier said crews are already preparing for winter, with snow-and-ice training underway. INDOT is hiring CDL-certified drivers for the season. He also reminded drivers to slow down for farm equipment, which often tops out at 20–25 mph until harvest ends.
All schedules are weather-permitting and subject to change, Dollier said, with updates shared through INDOT’s notifications.
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