Indiana Department of Transportation
Project Overview
The U.S. 31 Kokomo project is a new four-lane divided limited-access rural freeway that encircles Kokomo, in Howard County, to the east. The 13-mile project begins just south of the Tipton/Howard county line and ends about one mile north of the U.S. 31/U.S. 35 intersection. The project also involves building six new interchanges. The existing stretch of U.S. 31 in Kokomo between S.R. 267 and U.S. 35 North now includes 15 intersections with traffic signals, which too often leads to traffic delays and vehicle accidents. The $155 million Kokomo bypass project is slated to be completed by December 2013.
Location
The U.S. 31 Kokomo project is located primarily in Howard County. The project begins at Tipton C.R. 550 and continues around the eastside of Kokomo to one mile north of the north junction of U.S. 35 at Howard C.R. 450. The project corridor traverses the city of Kokomo and Center Township, as well as portions of Clay, Howard, Taylor, and Harrison Townships in Howard County. One mile of the project extends into Prairie and Liberty Townships in northern Tipton County.
Existing Conditions
The current U.S. 31 facility represents a bypass of the original U.S. 31 route that once passed through downtown Kokomo until 1952. Through the project area, existing U.S0 31 is a four-lane divided roadway that includes 15 signalized intersections, three bridges, and three at-grade railroad crossings. There are approximately 140 minor cross-street and private property access points to U.S. 31.
The purpose and need of the U.S. 31 Kokomo project is to: Want to know more about the U.S. 31 Kokomo project? Here are the most Frequently Asked Questions about this project. Statewide Perspective: The need for transportation improvements in the U.S 31 corridor has been recognized by the State of Indiana for more than 10 years. In 1992, INDOT initiated an in-depth study of alternative projects and strategies to improve north-south traffic flow along the US 31 corridor through the greater Kokomo area. This Major Investment Study (MIS), completed in 1995, evaluated a wide variety of options to improve the U.S. 31 corridor, including new alignments. The final recommendation of the MIS called for an upgrade of the existing U.S. 31 facility to urban freeway standards. The recommended upgrade designated a series of interchanges at major cross-streets within the study corridor. Local / Regional Perspective: In 1991, traffic congestion along U.S. 31 had intensified to a point that the Kokomo-Howard County Governmental Coordinating Council (GCC) acknowledged the problem and adopted the upgrade of U.S. 31 into their 1991 Transportation Policy Plan. The 1995 MIS recommended upgrading the existing U.S. 31 facility to freeway standards which was endorsed by the GCC and adopted into their Long Range Transportation Plan for Kokomo and Central Howard County for 1995 to 2015. Following the MIS, the local businesses expressed concern and opposition over the potential impacts that would be associated with upgrading U.S. 31. As a result, the Kokomo-Howard County GCC lifted their endorsement of the existing corridor upgrade alternative. In February 2000, the Kokomo-Howard County GCC adopted a long-range transportation plan update for the years 2000 to 2025 that included a recommendation for a U.S. 31 east bypass. The GCC subsequently formed a US 31 Task Force comprised of local officials and business leaders to identify and address local issues relating to future U.S. 31 improvements. In August 2000, based on the recommendations of the group, the GCC adopted Resolution 2000-3: Resolution for Communicating U.S. 31 Priorities to the Indiana Department of Transportation for Consideration in an Environmental Impact Study of U.S. 31 in Howard County.
Purpose and Need
Frequently Asked Questions
Project History
Lettings & Awards
