IN: US 24 around Fort Wayne

[froggie]

Per signage (was just there on Sunday), US 24 is now routed around the north side of Fort Wayne via I-69 and I-469.  The highway browser shows the previous south side routing.

[Jim]

While in that area and editing files anyway, it looks like there's a NMP at the north end of US 27 where it meets I-69.

[mapcat]

I'll take care of the nmp but this deserves a little more investigation. The 2016 INDOT Reference Post Book shows it following I-69/469 around the southern loop. And given that Lafayette Center Rd is being improved west of the southern I-69/469 interchange, potentially for a US24 reroute, I'd be surprised that INDOT would change the routing to the north side.

[froggie]

Signage was pretty clear at both ends.  I also took the southern half of the freeway loop and noticed the lack of signage.  I was also under the impression that the 900N/Lafayette Center Rd improvement was for traffic purposes and not for a potential US 24 reroute.  Also, if this was intended as a US 24 reroute, I would have expected the design to be for a 4-lane divided section instead of the planned 4-lane UNdivided section with the occasional center left turn lane.

[mapcat]

I wasn't saying that rerouting US 24 onto Lafayette Center Rd was imminent--INDOT hasn't published anything saying that they have any intention of doing that--but with their history of removing their road system from inside city limits (a short stretch of US 24 is in the city west of I-69) and the fact that INDOT is rebuilding a county road makes me think I ought to get official word from someone.

[froggie]

Fair point, but that would be considered future work, especially considering the road work in question won't be done until later next year.  In the meantime, signage without a question directs US 24 around the north side of Fort Wayne.  I tried pulling more data from INDOT's online map and the shapefiles, but they have this annoying habit of showing only the primary route number along concurrencies...

[yakra]

Could this just be a temporary detour?

Is Indiana usually pretty good about going thru AASHTO for its US reroutes? (As opposed to, say, Oklahoma?)

[mapmikey]

Fair point, but that would be considered future work, especially considering the road work in question won't be done until later next year.  In the meantime, signage without a question directs US 24 around the north side of Fort Wayne.  I tried pulling more data from INDOT's online map and the shapefiles, but they have this annoying habit of showing only the primary route number along concurrencies...

This map may prove it is around the north side:   http://www.in.gov/indot/files/Ft%20Wayne%20District%20Map.pdf

The mileage continuation is very close around the north side and is several miles too long if going around the bottom.

[yakra]

Agreed.

[mapcat]

This map may prove it is around the north side:   http://www.in.gov/indot/files/Ft%20Wayne%20District%20Map.pdf

The mileage continuation is very close around the north side and is several miles too long if going around the bottom.

Distance around the north: 22.9 (per Google)
Distance around the south: 26.8

US24 mileage @ I-69 per that map: a little over 132
US24 mileage @ I-469: a little less than 153; 153-132 < 22.9

Maybe the mileposts on that map reflect an even older time when it was routed through the city. In any case, Indiana has been known to fudge mileposts when it's expedient (e.g., the renumbering on I-69 N of Indianapolis).

I'm not doubting froggie (and even if I was, I'll be on the road myself in a few days) but I'll wait until I get confirmation from INDOT that this is a permanent relocation.

Could this just be a temporary detour?

Is Indiana usually pretty good about going thru AASHTO for its US reroutes? (As opposed to, say, Oklahoma?)

I don't check very frequently, so I don't know.

[mapmikey]

US24 mileage @ I-69 per that map: a little over 132
US24 mileage @ I-469: a little less than 153; 153-132 < 22.9

Maybe the mileposts on that map reflect an even older time when it was routed through the city. In any case, Indiana has been known to fudge mileposts when it's expedient (e.g., the renumbering on I-69 N of Indianapolis).

US 24 routing through Fort Wayne was about 16 miles...

[mapmikey]

Could this just be a temporary detour?

Is Indiana usually pretty good about going thru AASHTO for its US reroutes? (As opposed to, say, Oklahoma?)

US 24 routing around the north is explicitly stated in the spring 2012 AASHTO action for moving US 24 onto new alignments east of Fort Wayne.

US 24 routing previously around the south was approved in the spring 1996 AASHTO action.

Entire set of actions back to 1967 can be downloaded here:  https://route.transportation.org/usrn-application-database-with-meeting-minutes-and-application-results/

[froggie]

Given that it involved full guide sign replacement (or some seriously good patching), I doubt it's a temporary detour.  The AASHTO approval "seals the deal" IMO.

[yakra]

The AASHTO approval "seals the deal" IMO.

Yup!

[mapcat]

Thank you for reaching out to the Indiana Department of Transportation Fort Wayne.

US 24 was rerouted north in 2013.

I'll edit & submit tonight.