INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A section of southbound I-65 in downtown Indianapolis is scheduled to close this weekend to remove an abandoned railroad bridge north of Fletcher Avenue and prepare for pavement replacement work, the Indiana Department of Transportation said in a news release issued Tuesd ay. Southbound I-65 will close around 9 p.m. Friday and is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday. The closure will span from the I-65/I-70 interchange north of downtown to Fletcher Avenue. Several ramps will also close around 8 p.m. Friday to prepare for the main closure, including the ramp from 29th Street to southbound I-65, the ramp from 21st Street to southbound I-65, and Exit 111 on southbound I-65. Drivers will be detoured using I-465 and I-70, with signage posted to guide traffic. The southbound I-65 collector-distributor road between Ohio Street and Fletcher Avenue is scheduled to close from April 17 to April 20 to complete the removal of the abandoned railroad bridge. Mainline southbound I-65 will remain open during that weekend. Overnight ramp closures and restrictions are also scheduled for the rest of this week on I-65. Crews are shifting traffic to new pavement on southbound I-65, performing drainage work and setting beams on the I-65 bridge over Morris and Prospect streets. Drivers can anticipate these restrictions between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night unless otherwise noted. Through Friday, Morris Street and Prospect Street will close under I-65 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Southbound I-65 will also be reduced to one lane between Washington Street and Fletcher Avenue on Wednesday and Thursday. Two temporary ramp closures are scheduled in the coming weeks. The ramp from Keystone Avenue to northbound I-65 is closing on or after Monday, and the ramp from northbound I-65 to Morris Street and Prospect Street is closing on or after April 20. The entrance and exit ramps connecting Keystone Avenue and southbound I-65 are currently closed for improvements. Keystone Avenue is also reduced to one lane in each direction near the closed ramps. Crews will reconstruct these ramps, including new asphalt pavement, to maintain a safe path for pedestrians. All ramps and Keystone Avenue lane restrictions are expected to reopen early this summer, weather permitting. Actual dates and anticipated work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances occur. This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness. (Provided Image/Indiana Department of Transportation) ...read more read less