Underground Gravel Mine in Indy?

[AGarbers]

I heard a rumor that there's an underground gravel mine starting near 465 and Harding that extends for miles. The idea seems unlikely as gravel is cheaply available in nearby open pits. Any truth to this? Perhaps they were thinking of the caverns in Louisville.

 

[Tactically Fat]

It's absolutely 100% that the mine is there. That's where a lot of "Mount Indianapolis" came from - the huge pile of stuff that you can see on the north edge of 465 just west of Harding St / east of White River.

I do not know how big it is, however.

 

[AGarbers]

My rumor source said it extended to Acton. I can't imagine gravel being that valuable.

 

[bucktowner]

Yes it's there. There is another one on at the Rogers pit on Oard Rd in Bloomington. And no, it's not for the gravel. It's for the really really pure lime, that is used in so much stuff you wouldn't believe it. masonry, concrete, toothpaste, and chickenfeed (makes the eggshells harder). They call the operation the fine grind. Crushed to a fine powder, and then tumbled through these great big dryers that look like long cylinders on a slight angle with burners underneath them. Operation runs 24 hours, 7 days a week (or at least used to). Trucks pulling in and out at all hours (the semis with the bottom dump hopper looking trailers).

 

[williamsburg]

Are you talking about this one?



It is next to South Side Landfill. If you travel through the landfill to back you will drive over the mine conveyor belt operation.

Here is the Google Map link

 

[Tactically Fat]

Right - not just a gravel pit. It's a stone quarry. Lots and lots of very high quality (for what it is) limestone out of there. Same with the big strip pit in Carmel on 96th st.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Right - not just a gravel pit. It's a stone quarry. Lots and lots of very high quality (for what it is) limestone out of there. Same with the big strip pit in Carmel on 96th st.

That one is ginormous. There are miles and miles down there. If you don't know where you're going you'll will surely get lost. The roads have street names. Interesting fact: regards of the season, and the temp, the temperature in mines is always the same. 74 degrees I believe.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I heard a rumor that there's an underground gravel mine starting near 465 and Harding that extends for miles.

Not a rumor. And any kid growing up on the southwest side of Indy will tell you to take spray paint to find your way out . . . not that I knew any growing up on the . . . completely different side of the city.

74 degrees I believe.

It wasn't that warm.

 

[jfw46544]

A nephew of mine worked there. He said he drove 200 miles in one week. All in the mine.

 

[IndyGunworks]

don't forget the underground tunneling machine that they have going to make the sewage overflow storage.

 

[flightsimmer]

That one is ginormous. There are miles and miles down there. If you don't know where you're going you'll will surely get lost. The roads have street names. Interesting fact: regards of the season, and the temp, the temperature in mines is always the same. 74 degrees I believe.

I believe it averages 56 degrees year round, the same as natural caves.

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

I worked for a communications company that put in a bid for wired phones in that very mine. For bidding we drove the mine for 45 minutes to get a feel of the job. We drove many miles and the company rep said that the remaining 90% of the mine was more of the same.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

We drove many miles and the company rep said that the remaining 90% of the mine was more of the same.

I am always amazed at how many people just in Indianapolis are unaware of the mining that takes place in their backyards.

Long ago I remember listening to Art Bell and Mrs. Threeteeth from Indiana called in and talked about the alien space tunnels under Indianapolis. I laughed for 15 minutes--if they only knew what it was.

EDIT: there are many tunnels and mines in Indiana (some are used as warehouses). Many in the state are unaware of them as they think these only happen "out West" somewhere. We need an Underground Indiana thread.

 

[Libertarian01]

That one is ginormous. There are miles and miles down there. If you don't know where you're going you'll will surely get lost. The roads have street names. Interesting fact: regards of the season, and the temp, the temperature in mines is always the same. 74 degrees I believe.

Years ago I dabbled in spelunking. In studying I found out that every cave maintains the exact average temperature of the land above it. So in Indiana that was about 57 - 59 degrees, I can't recall exactly.

It seems warm in the winter, but staying down there for a long time without proper clothing and hypothermia could set in, so caving for long periods of time is extremely unsafe without large scale preparation.

Regards,

Doug

 

[jagee]

don't forget the underground tunneling machine that they have going to make the sewage overflow storage.

The spoil material from that is much flatter than your average crushed limestone product. The way the tunnel machine cuts it is different than a crusher. We have tested some of the "tunnel run" they are calling it to see if it passes for #53 crushed stone.

 

[dwh79]

They are large I have been in the one up north on 96th. I do however doubt it would run to acton I have not heard of that from anyone that lives around there and I have lived in that area my whole life. I believe you would still need to get agreements to tunnel under ones property. Also there would need to be some ventilation shafts somewhere as I don't believe you could push that much fresh air that far. I could be wrong though.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I believe it averages 56 degrees year round, the same as natural caves.

You may be right. I was down there during winter so years ago, so 56 degrees would have been a heatwave to me. I just remember the temp was pretty much static.

 

[Glock22]

I work in a underground mine in Bedford and I'm surprised at how many are unaware that it's there. Bedford is a small town unlike Indy.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I work in a underground mine in Bedford and I'm surprised at how many are unaware that it's there. Bedford is a small town unlike Indy.

I've lived and/or worked in Bedford for over 30 years and did know there is a mine here. Where is it?

 

[natdscott]

That one is ginormous. There are miles and miles down there. If you don't know where you're going you'll will surely get lost. The roads have street names. Interesting fact: regards of the season, and the temp, the temperature in mines is always the same. 74 degrees I believe.

I believe it averages 56 degrees year round, the same as natural caves.

As it is with groundwater, shallow caves and mines, barring external influence from surface air, geothermal heat sources, human intervention, etc. will maintain a temperature that is very close to the average ambient air temperature for that region. In Indiana, average air temperature happens to be 53-56 degrees, depending on where you are testing, so flightsimmer's answer is pretty darn close.

However, due to the above-mentioned geothermal gradient's influence in a deep shaft mine, as you proceed down the verticals, air temperature will rise. Around here, I'd guess it would be about 1 degree Fahrenheit for every 40-50 feet of depth...but I'm no miner.

Fun fact: in South Texas, groundwater comes out of your well at nearly 75 degrees. Caves do be much da same, for the same reasons.

-Nate