U.S. Route 31 in Indiana
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 31 {US 31) enters Indiana from Kentucky, proceeding north to Indianapolis parallel to Interstate 65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...

, joining Interstate 465
Interstate 465
Interstate 465 , also known as the USS Indianapolis Memorial Highway, is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately 53 miles . It lies almost completely within the boundaries of Marion County, except for two...

, then continuing north into Michigan.

Jeffersonville to Columbus

US 31 overlaps I-65 in Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...

, after crossing the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge from Kentucky. It then diverges as the access frontage lanes before splitting off north of Jeffersonville at Clarksville
Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River as a part of the Louisville Metropolitan area. The population was 21,724 at the 2010 census. The town, once a home site to George Rogers Clark, was founded in 1783 and is the oldest American town in the Northwest...

 and proceeding to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. The stretch of US 31 that runs through Columbus is the only inter-metropolitan stretch of the route that consists of a single lane in either direction. Construction has begun to widen US 31 to two lanes in both directions for its length through Columbus.

Columbus to Indianapolis

At I-465 on the south side of Indianapolis, US 31 is routed onto I-465 to the east of the city. This is the closest approach the highway makes to downtown Indianapolis. (Previously the route of the highway through Indianapolis was on East Street, Madison Avenue, North Street, and then Meridian Street
Meridian Street (Indianapolis)
Meridian Street is the primary north-south street in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.Meridian Street was formerly aligned with US 31 for much of its length in the city of Indianapolis, before being re-routed to a segment of Interstate 465. The street delineates east addresses from west...

.)

Indianapolis to Michigan

US 31 exits I-465 (coincidentally at Exit 31) in southern Hamilton County, and continues northward, primarily as a divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...

. US 31 then passes through or near Kokomo
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....

, Rochester
Rochester, Indiana
Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,414 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rochester is located at ....

, Plymouth
Plymouth, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,840 people, 3,838 households, and 2,406 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,414.0 people per square mile . There were 4,100 housing units at an average density of 589.2 per square mile...

, and Lakeville
Lakeville, Indiana
Lakeville is a town south of South Bend in Union Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. The population was 786 at the 2010 Census...

. As US 31 approaches southern South Bend
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...

, the route becomes a full interstate-grade freeway as converges with US 20/St. Joseph Valley Parkway
St. Joseph Valley Parkway
The St. Joseph Valley Parkway is a freeway in the U.S. states of Indiana and Michigan, serving as a bypass route around Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend in Indiana and Niles in Michigan. The freeway runs to the south and west of Elkhart and South Bend and Niles and consists of segments of U.S...

 and proceeds west then north, bypassing South Bend and proceeding into Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. (See U.S. Route 31 in Michigan
U.S. Route 31 in Michigan
US Highway 31 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Alabama, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that runs from the Indiana–Michigan state line at Bertrand Township to its terminus at Interstate 75 south...

.)

Freeway upgrades for northern sections

Three sections of US 31 in Northern Indiana are being relocated or upgraded. All are part of the Indiana Department of Transportation
Indiana Department of Transportation
The Indiana Department of Transportation is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining and regulating transportation and transportation related infrastructure such as state owned airports, state highways and state owned canals or railroads.-Districts:INDOT is...

 Major Moves Project designed to convert US 31 to Interstate-grade freeway from South Bend
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...

 to Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. The conversion of these over-capacity segments is expected to be completed in 2018. Funding has yet to be approved for the 78 miles of US 31 located between these three segments.

South Bend to Plymouth

The New US 31 Plymouth to South Bend project will relocate US 31 on primarily new alignment from US 30
U.S. Route 30 in Indiana
In the state of Indiana, U.S. Route 30 is an east–west four-lane divided highway across northern Indiana. It runs from the Illinois state line at Dyer to east of Fort Wayne at the Ohio state line. This is a distance of 151.8 miles ....

 near Plymouth to US 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...

/St. Joseph Valley Parkway
St. Joseph Valley Parkway
The St. Joseph Valley Parkway is a freeway in the U.S. states of Indiana and Michigan, serving as a bypass route around Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend in Indiana and Niles in Michigan. The freeway runs to the south and west of Elkhart and South Bend and Niles and consists of segments of U.S...

 south of South Bend. Groundbreaking for the project occurred on September 17, 2008, and the first portions to be completed will be overpasses at two locations, Lilac Road and Plymouth-Goshen Trail in northern Marshall County
Marshall County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,128 people, 16,519 households, and 12,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 18,099 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...

. This section of highway is scheduled to open by the end of 2014.

Kokomo

The Kokomo Corridor Project will cover 14 miles (22.5 km) of new highway primarily in Howard County
Howard County, Indiana
Howard County is one of 92 counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Howard and Tipton counties. Originally named Richardville County, it was rechristened in 1844 to commemorate General Tilghman Ashurst Howard. As of...

. The new limited-access highway will be east of Kokomo and will have four interchanges at SR 26
Indiana State Road 26
State Road 26 is an east–west road in central Indiana in the United States that crosses the entire state from east to west, covering a distance of about .-Route description:...

, E. Boulevard (CR 100S), US 35
U.S. Route 35
U.S. Route 35 is a north–south United States highway that runs northwest-southeast for approximately from northern Indiana to the western suburbs of Charleston, West Virginia. The highway's northern terminus is in Michigan City, Indiana, at U.S. Route 20. Its southern terminus is in Scott...

/SR 22
Indiana State Road 22
State Road 22 in the U.S. state of Indiana is a major thoroughfare from Kokomo to Interstate 69. The highway is concurrent with U.S. Route 35 from Kokomo to Interstate 69.-Route description:...

 (Markland Avenue), Touby Pike and US 35 north of Kokomo. Groundbreaking for the project occurred in the afternoon of September 17, 2008, only hours after the groundbreaking for the South Bend-to-Plymouth stretch. This section of highway is scheduled to be completed in 2013.

Hamilton County

The New US 31 Hamilton County project will upgrade US 31 to freeway standards from near SR 38
Indiana State Road 38
State Road 38 in the U.S. State of Indiana serves as a connection between Lafayette in the west and Richmond in the east.-Route description:State Road 38 begins in Lafayette with State Road 25 and U.S. Route 52. There is an interchange with Interstate 65 at exit 168. It proceeds east-southeast...

 north of Westfield
Westfield, Indiana
Westfield is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. In the year 2010 United States Census, the population was 30,068. Westfield is in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.- History :...

 to Interstate 465
Interstate 465
Interstate 465 , also known as the USS Indianapolis Memorial Highway, is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately 53 miles . It lies almost completely within the boundaries of Marion County, except for two...

 near the Marion County
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...

 line and Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. Construction is to begin in 2010 and to be completed by 2018.

Major intersections

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