TRAFFIC ALERT – Indiana DOT to Reroute Southbound Highway 41 Traffic at Diamond Ave. Later This Month

Ahh, Spring. The birds start chirping, the grass begins to grow and turn from that dreary beige color to lush green, and flowers begin to bud as they begin the next cycle of life. It's also the time of year we start to see those dreaded orange barrels popping up all over Indiana roads like those unwanted dandelions in our yard. Some of which will be appearing soon on a heavily traveled stretch of road on Evansville's north side.

INDOT Planning Traffic Change at Highway 41 and Diamond Avenue Interchange

To be fair, as much as we hate to see those barrels or cones because we know it means traffic will be slower, they are necessary. Our roads take a beating day in and day out, every day, year after year after year. After a while, a crack or pothole is going to open up that needs to be addressed, so the barrels go up to allow road crews the chance to perform a repair or routine maintenance as safely as possible. Sometimes it's not as simple as a crack or a few potholes. On top of the beating they take each day, the roads get old, just like us, and need a little more TLC to keep them in the best shape possible, which is what will happen on the stretch of southbound Highway 41 near the interchange with Diamond Avenue.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) tweeted earlier this week crews will be replacing the pavement from the Pigeon Creek Bridge to the Diamond Avenue overpass which will require traffic to be redirected through the duration of the process.

How Traffic Will Be Rerouted During Construction

Of course, traffic on this stretch has been wonky for a while thanks to the ongoing rebuild of the Pigeon Creek Bridge. As it stands now, southbound drivers must take the Diamond Avenue exit to bypass the lack of a bridge but are allowed back on to 41 from the exit once they've cleared that portion. Once the repaving process begins March 22nd, that won't be an option. Instead, drivers (i.e. you) traveling south on Highway 41 toward the Diamond Avenue overpass will take the exit all the way to Diamond, then take a left at the light, followed by an immediate right onto the ramp leading back to the highway.

If you're having trouble picturing that, here's a breakdown courtesy of a few screenshots from Google Maps:

Take Diamond Avenue Exit from Highway 41 South

Turn Left Onto Diamond Avenue

Turn Right on the Highway 41 South Ramp

According to INDOT, the work is expected to last until mid-July, so a better bet may be avoiding the area altogether if you can.

[Source: Indiana Department of Transportation Southwest on Twitter]