TIPPECANOE COUNTY — Prepare to see even more orange cones throughout Greater Lafayette for the next five years.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday unveiled a five-year, $4.7 billion road maintenance and construction plan for the state, which includes nearly $70.6 million for Tippecanoe County roads and bridges. The plan marks the first step in a 20-year program to improve Indiana's infrastructure.
"Being the Crossroads of America is not just a catchy phrase or a clever motto for us. It is in fact our mission and indeed we are out to complete that mission, as is evidenced today," Holcomb said during a press event at the INDOT West Lafayette Sub-district Building.
The Indiana Department of Transportation will resurface 192 lane miles and rehabilitate or replace 18 bridges throughout the county. The entire state will see a total of 10,000 miles of pavement resurfaced and 1,300 bridges repaired or replaced.
MORE: These West Lafayette roads are getting a makeover
One of the main priorities is to increase capacity, said INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness. The state will add lanes on I-65 to have a minimum of three lanes going in each direction, he said.
Locally, the transportation department will heavily focus on replacing and improving bridges. A project list for the county includes the replacement of the Sagamore Parkway bridge and the westbound bridge over the Wabash River, starting in 2018.