Boone County drivers are about to lose a key shortcut. Ford Road is scheduled to close on or after Monday, June 8 for a full bridge replacement over I‑865, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. The shutdown will cut the direct crossing over the short I‑865 connector, forcing local traffic onto a signed detour that sends drivers along Hunt Club Road, Cooper Road (County Road 850 East) and 96th Street. Crews will also impose overnight lane and ramp restrictions on nearby I‑465 and I‑865 while they demolish the old span and build the new bridge.
According to INDOT East Central, work is slated to begin on or after Monday, June 8, with Ford Road closing while a new bridge is installed. The agency says the I‑465 northbound ramp to I‑865 westbound will shut down nightly from June 9 through June 12, with a signed ramp detour in place. The post also warns drivers to brace for overnight lane and ramp closures between I‑465 and Cooper Road from about 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for roughly two weeks, and notes that 20‑minute stoppages may be used for certain nighttime operations. INDOT is urging motorists to follow posted detour signs and build in extra travel time.
Project details and contractor
State records identify the work as contract B‑44998‑A, a bridge replacement on Ford Road over I‑865. INDOT's official bid tabulations list Rieth‑Riley Construction Co. as the apparent low bidder at $4,173,699.57 for the job. The department's Notice to Highway Contractors cites project control number 1900189 and sets a formal contract completion date of June 10, 2027.
Traffic impacts and detours
The agency’s Facebook post states that Ford Road "will close on or after Monday, June 8 for a bridge replacement through late fall 2026," according to INDOT East Central. The signed detour will push traffic from Ford Road to Hunt Club Road, then to Cooper Road (C.R. 850 E), and over to 96th Street. Local drivers who depend on the cross‑freeway link should expect heavier volumes on those surface streets and longer commutes during both daytime and nighttime work windows. INDOT also cautions that crews may use 20‑minute stoppages during some nighttime operations so they can move large equipment and materials safely across the work zone.
Local context and what to watch
Boone County meeting minutes indicate that a Section 4(f) agreement was negotiated so a multiuse trail can be accommodated on the replacement bridge, and that Zionsville has agreed to cover the additional construction costs tied to the pathway, per the Boone County Board of Commissioners minutes. That feature will require extra coordination among INDOT, county highway crews and local jurisdictions throughout construction and when it comes time to reopen local traffic. Residents along the detour corridor should expect periodic lane restrictions and work‑zone controls for the duration of the project.
For now, drivers are being asked to leave early, obey detour signs and stay alert for shifting traffic patterns. INDOT plans to provide routine updates on its channels and through local traffic advisories as the work moves forward.
