Residents along a stretch of I-65 from Seymour to Columbus are preparing for construction. At a public hearing last night people could see the plans for widening the interstate and ask questions.
State Rep. Milo Smith, R-Columbus, spoke at the meeting. Smith says he wants to ensure his constituents won't be placed in harm's way during the construction, and that traffic won't be too much of a burden for commuters.
"I know my constituents need to go back and forth to work and they would be concerned if traffic were closed down to one lane," Smith says.
Public Affairs Manager for INDOT's Innovative Project Delivery Division Andy Dietrick says the project will follow INDOT Guidelines intended to not overly inconvenience commuters.
"We adhere to the congestion policy that INDOT has," Dietrick says. "Which is keeping four lanes of traffic open as much as possible with the occasional single lane closures for very specific short time frames off peak time."
The second of two public hearing is set for tonight at the Brownstown Town Hall.
Preliminary construction on the project could begin as early as this year, with major construction starting next year, and completion slated for 2020.