Batesville, In. — Crews working for the Indiana Department of Transportation plan to close the eastbound lane of I-74 today (Thursday, November 29) near Western Creek (mile marker 153.7) for guardrail repairs. Once the recently damaged guardrail located in the median area of I-74 has been replaced, INDOT will switch the eastbound closure to the highway’s right lane and right shoulder where stabilization operations at a slide site will occur over the next 30 days.
Next, crews will set concrete barrier wall sections—weather permitting—on Friday, November 30. Then excavation on an eroding slope just west of Western Creek will begin in preparation for slide correction measures by a specialty geohazard subcontractor.
Crews from Geostablization International are scheduled to begin work at Western Creek Monday, December 3. They will stabilize the slope with “soil nails” driven into bedrock. Metal gridwork attached to these steel shafts will be overcoated with shotcrete—forming a substantial retaining wall.
Once this embankment is stabilized, all I-74 lanes will remain open for winter travel until Phase III operations begin next spring.
