Hwy 24 at Monticello, In.

[shadoow]

I'm looking at using Hwy 24 to get from I57 to US31 in Indiana. On that route, just east of Monticello, IN there is railroad trestle over the road. I can't tell the height from Google Maps/Earth, etc. or searching IN low clearance data. My 5er is 13'1", 13'2" high. Anyone know what the clearance on this bridge is and if there are any other bridge clearances I need to look at on the route from I57 to US 31?

[paulj]

Looking at Google maps, it looks like the mixing of US24 , US35, and IN25 (Hossier Heartland hwy) can complicate route finding and signage through Logansport. They are trying route those all around the south side of town.

[shadoow]

paulj wrote:
Generally it is better to follow signage rather than your GPS. The main problem with signs is that they often don't give you much time to react, especially if you are prepared to follow an outdated map. And if the signs are confusing, be prepared to follow the main traffic lanes. Last minute turns and lane changes produce accidents.

You're right, I think a lot of us have been caught by the GPS vs. signage situation; I know I have and more than once. I try to do trip planning to avoid these situations, but as they say 'the best laid plans....' In this case, based on the input from someone with local knowledge and how that flanges up with the mapping information I'm inclined to trust the GPS more. Still thinking about an alternate route so I can avoid dealing with the situation altogether though.

Tom, thanks for the additional info. I'll have to toss it all around & figure out a game plan. Fortunately, I've got a few weeks to do so.

[tatest]

shadoow wrote:
thanks for the additional info. My vehicle GPS is a Garmin and I do mapping on the Basecamp software. When i was originally mapping the route the new bypass at Logansport didn't show up. That's when i came to find out there was a map update available. After updating, the new bypass at Logansport now shows up and it agrees with what I see on Mapquest. So it looks like if I just follow the GPS directions (and maybe ignore the signage) I should be Ok. What do you think?

Another thought I had was to take Rt. 421 North (before Monticello) to Hwy 30, go east to Hwy 31 and head north from there. Any thoughts on that route anyone??

One of my alternate routes when going to SW Michigan has been US-421 from 24 up to I-94 at Michigan City. The road in many places is rough, it is a bit more narrow than some of the other white shield highways. My experience is that most of the traffic is local but include farm equipment, grain trucks, and dump trucks. I think there's a sand pit or quarry in the area.

I started using 421 when 24 was closed between Reynolds and Monticello. I've not taken US-30 across to 31, have used SR-14 when we were detouring US-24. One time, I took it across, but then they closed 14 further east for bridge work and detoured the traffic south to Monticello to use 24.

It the places I've crossed US-30 it has been pretty busy with truck traffic, and of course local traffic around major junctions because it used to be the main E-W highway parallel to the railroads, thus getting market towns and small cities from the mid 19th century.

I've found that I really like driving the US and state highways on the old lake plainsbin Northern Indiana, when not in a hurry. This part of Indiana is full of market town 100-150 years old, bigger places where railroads crossed navigable rivers and canals, and then for many growth just stopped when the Interstate system bypassed everything. But much the same in northern Ohio. Rural southern Michigan is different, settlement had to adjust to topography left by the terminus of the last retreating glacier. Roads have to work their way around thousands of little lakes.

[paulj]

Generally it is better to follow signage rather than your GPS. The main problem with signs is that they often don't give you much time to react, especially if you are prepared to follow an outdated map. And if the signs are confusing, be prepared to follow the main traffic lanes. Last minute turns and lane changes produce accidents.

[shadoow]

thanks for the additional info. My vehicle GPS is a Garmin and I do mapping on the Basecamp software. When i was originally mapping the route the new bypass at Logansport didn't show up. That's when i came to find out there was a map update available. After updating, the new bypass at Logansport now shows up and it agrees with what I see on Mapquest. So it looks like if I just follow the GPS directions (and maybe ignore the signage) I should be Ok. What do you think?

Another thought I had was to take Rt. 421 North (before Monticello) to Hwy 30, go east to Hwy 31 and head north from there. Any thoughts on that route anyone??

[tatest]

shadoow wrote:

tatest wrote:

Beware, however, around Logansport. The US-24 bypass formerly connected with business 24 west of the city, sweeping around to the south. Everything got reconfigured when they rerouted SR-25, the signage is not clear, and it is easy to get on the old 24 bypass (particularly if you have been doing it for 20 years) only to find that it now dead-ends. You want to stay on the Logansport Bypass south to the Heartland Highway, then east.

Tom, I took a closer look at the route around Logansport on Google Maps and am looking to get some confirmation of what I'm seeing. It looks like the maps are not fully updated as they show the Hoosier Heartland Hwy. as a phantom road. From your description, that is now the correct route?? And the Hwy 24 connection north of that is the old connection that's no longer active??
If all that is true, but somehow miss my turn, can I go all the way south to the Burlington Hwy and turn back towards the north to pick up the Heartland Hwy.??

The 24 connection further north is the one no longer active, it catches those of us who used to use it. Last time I missed the turn, I went south past the airport, then west on the first county road that looked like it connected with SR-25, then back up old 25 to the new junction. Wasn't in the RV that trip. Looking back at the situation, I might have been better off turning towards Logansport rather than away from it, but I wasn't sure what old intersections or junctions might still be open.

The new intersection, if I pay attention to the route signs, takes me off the highway, across an intersecting highway at a stop sign, then right back on. This might be something left over from the construction of "new" SR-25. We need a Logansport local to tell us how to get around.

I think it is not so much that the new route is not marked, rather the signs for the old routes and the temporary routes have all been left in place, and are misleading. My GPS maps, of course, are out of date relative to all this recent work.

Mapquest is showing the correct map, or at least what worked for me in June. The trap is the short piece marked "Logansport Byp" which runs east to end at Humphrey street (so not really a dead end, rather ending at a road that goes nowhere very far). Yahoo maps looks like it has the old bypass erased. Google map I'm seeing now shows the new route in gold, the old one called Monticello Road, and connecting in a way that is no longer true.

[jeb5]

The comments on the site are all very good. The marking around Logansport must have been done by a very inexperienced civil engineer. I made the mistake in a car and went about 15 miles before I realized that I was on the wrong road. The railroad bridge is not a problem. The speed limits in the small towns is a good warning. Do NOT GO THROUGH LOGANSPORT with your RV. Happy TRAILS!!

[shadoow]

tatest wrote:

Beware, however, around Logansport. The US-24 bypass formerly connected with business 24 west of the city, sweeping around to the south. Everything got reconfigured when they rerouted SR-25, the signage is not clear, and it is easy to get on the old 24 bypass (particularly if you have been doing it for 20 years) only to find that it now dead-ends. You want to stay on the Logansport Bypass south to the Heartland Highway, then east.

Tom, I took a closer look at the route around Logansport on Google Maps and am looking to get some confirmation of what I'm seeing. It looks like the maps are not fully updated as they show the Hoosier Heartland Hwy. as a phantom road. From your description, that is now the correct route?? And the Hwy 24 connection north of that is the old connection that's no longer active??
If all that is true, but somehow miss my turn, can I go all the way south to the Burlington Hwy and turn back towards the north to pick up the Heartland Hwy.??

[tatest]

I drive this several times a year. There is nothing on US-24 between I-57 and I-69 that cannot be negotiated by maximum height (13'6" in Indiana) traffic.

Beware, however, around Logansport. The US-24 bypass formerly connected with business 24 west of the city, sweeping around to the south. Everything got reconfigured when they rerouted SR-25, the signage is not clear, and it is easy to get on the old 24 bypass (particularly if you have been doing it for 20 years) only to find that it now dead-ends. You want to stay on the Logansport Bypass south to the Heartland Highway, then east.

Don't even think about taking Business 24 through Logansport. That's one that will get large rigs into trouble, not height clearances but lane widths, traffic and room to turn. I like to take SR-25 north out of Logansport (it is a diagonal shortcut) usually making a lunch stop on the west side of town, but only in a car, my RV does the bypass. SR-25 goes right through the center of town, zig zags with tight turns, and the "thru" lane gets held up by left turns. Then there is that sharp right immediately at the end of the bridge crossing the Eel River.

US-31 is good four-lane (except where they might be working on it) all the way from US-24 to just south of US-20. South Bend is another "go around." I go around on 20 to the east because I'm always going to someplace east of Kalamazoo when taking this route. US-31 bypass loops around to the west of South Bend, if you are headed up 31 into Michigan.

P.S. Monticello has very low speed limits, and enforces them. I've also noted Wolcott as one of the places where someone sits watching for people who speed up too early leaving town, or slow down too late coming in.

[Red-Rover]

I live about 30 miles West of this bridge in question and can add a little more information. The bridge over the Tippecanoe river was rebuilt last summer and the approach on the East side, which was a very tight turn, has been changed and somewhat straightened. Just guessing that your Google map or whatever you are viewing is not quite current.
Calling the DOT was the right move.

[shadoow]

I talked with someone at the Indiana DOT district office where this bridge is located. According to their records the clearance for the bridge (trestle) is 14.62 feet. I just wanted to verify the bridge height as it looked a little on the low side from the pics on Google maps/earth, etc.

Thanks all for the responses.

[jeb5]

I would call the local police department for satisfaction. I have driven this route many times in car and a few in the 5th wheel without a problem.

[shadoow]

location is where you're coming out of Monticello, heading east, just after crossing the Tippecanoe River, Rt. 24 takes a curve to the left. Right after that curve is the RR crossing.

When i look at the road in that location on Google Earth the road label says "IN 39", but the map view shows it as 24 so not sure what's going on there...edit: US vs. state hwy i'm guessing.

[jeb5]

I have driven this road many times. Never had a concern about any clearance. Where is the exact location that has a concern? This road is used by many trucks and there is no truck route or detour. Send me a PM and we can confirm your issues.