The dreaded Interstate 65 detour. The word “I65” trends on Indianapolis-area Twitter feeds almost nightly now due to tweets about the detours, construction and general headache caused by the indefinite closure of the northbound bridge over Wildcat Creek.
But what does this all add up to, beyond screams or curses of frustration?
The Journal & Courier talked to several commuters and Purdue University economics professors in an attempt to find out.
THE COST
All estimates assume the cost of gas to be $2.47 per gallon, an Indiana average provided by AAA.com. Distance was calculated using Google Maps, and commuters provided time estimates and their miles per gallon. Commute times were checked against Google Maps.
Trips are calculated as one-way because commuters still can take I-65 southbound. Time and gas cost do not account for idling in traffic.
Example 1: Indy to Chicago
Dawn Olsen of Indianapolis spends a lot of time traveling to Chicago to visit her boyfriend. She used to take I-65 straight up to the city but now can’t due to the detour. Instead, she takes Interstate 74 to U.S. 41, which eventually turns into Lake Shore Drive. She drives a car that gets about 29 mpg on the highway.
Here’s how her totals came out for a commute from downtown Indy to downtown Chicago:
The old route: About 185 miles and about three to 31/2 hours of drive time. In total, about 6.4 gallons of gas, which costs about $15.81.
The detoured route: About 228 miles and about 41/2 hours of drive time. In total, about 7.9 gallons of gas, which costs about $19.51.