INDOT to close State Road 70 near Troy for culvert replacement work

Morning commuters, school traffic and anyone using State Road 70 as a shortcut near Troy will face a full closure starting on or around Monday, May 11, when INDOT shuts the road over Waterman Branch near North County Road 950 E for a box culvert replacement.

The closure will cut off through traffic in Spencer County, but local drivers will still be able to get up to the point where the road is closed. INDOT says the detour will route drivers from U.S. 231 to State Road 66, a reroute that will likely shift more traffic onto those highways while work is underway near Troy.

INDOT expects the project to last through the beginning of August, weather permitting. That means the disruption will stretch across much of the summer, affecting daily trips for residents who rely on SR 70 to move between Troy, nearby rural roads and the broader Spencer County travel network.

The work is not a patch job. It is a box culvert replacement, part of the infrastructure that carries Waterman Branch under the roadway. INDOT’s hydraulic engineering program handles bridges, culverts, storm sewers and detention ponds on state roads, while INDOT’s Ecology, Waterway Permitting and Stormwater Office reviews project documents tied to state work that crosses streams and other waterways. Depending on the scope of the project, culvert replacements can also trigger water-quality review and permitting requirements.

INDOT is urging drivers to slow down, use extra caution and avoid distractions in and near the work zone. For Perry County and Spencer County travelers who use SR 70 as a practical shortcut, the change will be immediate: the road will stop at the closure, the detour will push traffic to U.S. 231 and State Road 66, and the closure is expected to remain in place until early August if the weather cooperates.