Since the Record of Decision (ROD) for Section 4 was published in September 2011, final design refinements have been identified for Segments 7, 8 and 9, including an interchange connecting I-69 with existing SR 37 south of Bloomington.

The reevaluation document can be viewed on the project website.

INDOT is seeking public comment on the proposed changes.  Comments can be submitted at i69indyevn.org and are requested before May 18th. The contracts for these remaining Section 4 projects are scheduled to be let later this year.

Elected officials, business leaders, contractors, labor reps and others joined the Indiana Department of Transportation this week at a ground breaking ceremony for Section 4 in little Cincinnati in Greene County. The ceremony served as the kickoff celebrating construction of segments 1, 4, 5, and 6a. The four contracts represent approximately 9 miles of the 27 mile long section. The letting for the remaining Section 4 contracts is expected by the end of this year, including the segment that will connect I-69 with existing SR 37 south of the city of Bloomington.

With Sections 1-3 approximately 54% complete and bids continuing to come in around 15% under engineers’ estimates, about $100 million was saved in the building of the first three sections and applied to work in Section 4.

From left: Linton Mayor John Wilkes; Charlie Selby of WestGate Tech Park; Brad Bredeweg of Crider & Crider; Samuel Sarvis, INDOT Deputy Commissioner of Major Program Management; State Rep. Matt Ubelhor; John Weachtor, Vice President of Operations for Milestone Contracotrs; Chris Jobe, INDOT; Don Schulte of Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center; Christy Gillenwater, President & C.E.O. of The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce; and Dawn Replogle, URS Corp.

Please see the following press release issued today by INDOT:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 11, 2012

Public to Get First Look at Preliminary Road Drawings on Tuesday

INDOT Seeks Feedback on I-69, Section 5 Studies

Bloomington, Ind. – The public is invited to review preliminary road alignments and access alternatives for Section 5 of the federally approved I-69 corridor at a public information meeting on Tuesday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m.  INDOT will present an updated Purpose and Need Statement and Screening of Alternatives Package.  The meeting will be held at the Monroe County Fairgrounds Auditorium at 5700 W. Airport Road just west of the S.R. 45 and Airport Road intersection.

Section 5 of the approved I-69 corridor begins at S.R. 37, near Victor Pike southwest of Bloomington, and continues along S.R. 37 to S.R. 39 near Martinsville.  “This portion of I-69 involves upgrading an existing roadway.  We are particularly interested in hearing public comments on proposed access alternatives”, said Samuel Sarvis, INDOT Deputy Commissioner of Major Programs.   ”We have some important decisions to make in the coming months.  Public comment and input from local officials will be used to shape those decisions.”

The public is encouraged to provide input on the drawings using comment forms, discussions with team members, or public comment session.  A formal presentation will begin at 6:30 pm, with a public comment session shortly thereafter.  The project team will use public feedback to re-examine initial alternatives and develop a set of revised alternatives to be presented in Section 5’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) later this year.  A Public Hearing will be held shortly after release of Section 5’s DEIS.

Maps and aerial photos will be on display and open to the public beginning at 5:30 p.m.  Project team members including INDOT representatives will be available to answer questions both before the formal presentation at 6:30 and afterward until 8:30 p.m.  Please contact the Section 5 project office if you have special transit needs.  We will do our best to accommodate you.
In March 2004, the Federal Highway Administration approved the 142-mile I-69 corridor that will extend I-69 from Evansville to Indianapolis.  Sections 1 through 4 have completed environmental studies.  Section 5 is one of the two remaining Sections in the corridor with ongoing studies.  Significant information is available at the Section 5 project office located at 3802 Industrial Blvd., Bloomington, IN  47403.  The office is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The public is encouraged to visit, or call 812-355-1390.  Additional information is available on the project web site at www.i69indyevn.org.

Hoosier Voices for I-69, along with a delegation from Southwest Indiana and Northwest Kentucky recently returned from an I-69 caucus fly-in in DC, advocating for the construction of I-69 and a new Ohio River bridge connecting Evansville, IN and Henderson, KY. Michael Schopmeyer, pictured above, addresses the audience at the I-69 Caucus luncheon. INDOT Commissioner Michael Cline is seated to his right, Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield to his left.

New permanent I-69 signage is going up in Western Kentucky along for former Western Kentucky Parkway. The signage replaces temporary I-69 shields currently in place and is part of a larger project to bring the stretch of road up to federal highway standards. More significant work will begin with the summer construction season to lengthen merge lanes and raise overpasses to meet clearance requirements.

Bloomington, IN – February 20, 2012 – The Hoosier Voices for I-69 Board of Directors is pleased to announce a new partnership with The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, naming Chamber Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Morgan Hutton, as the Executive Director for Hoosier Voices for I-69. Hoosier Voices for I-69 is a public advocacy organization comprised of citizens, businesses and organizations from across Indiana. The mission of the coalition is to support the approval, funding, and construction of a direct route extension of Interstate 69 from Indianapolis to Evansville.

In decades past, the primary source of advocacy for completing I-69 from Indianapolis to Evansville originated from individuals and organizations in Southwestern Indiana including the incorporation of The Southwestern Indiana Regional Highway Coalition in 1991. In 2004, the organization evolved into the Evansville-based Hoosier Voices for I-69 coalition, which worked to bring a statewide focus to the I-69 project. “Hoosier Voices continues its statewide focus as well as multi-state objectives for the completion of the highway,” says Jeff Mulzer, Hoosier Voices for I-69 Chairman. “This transition for the organization signifies the substantial progress the highway has experienced since construction began in 2008 and was subsequently accelerated last year. With all Section 4 contracts expected to be awarded by the end of 2012, our focus turns to getting construction completed from Bloomington to Indianapolis. We are also committed to our partnership with Kentucky’s C-link to get a new Evansville/Henderson Ohio River Bridge under way and under construction.

Hutton, who will continue in her current role at the Chamber in addition to staffing Hoosier Voices, says I-69 advocacy is not new to the Chamber. “The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce has supported and advocated for the highway for many years. As construction advances toward our community each day, the Chamber’s Board of Directors saw this partnership as an opportunity to further our advocacy efforts and to help educate the community throughout the process. Through this organization, we will also work to forge strong partnerships with stakeholders along the corridor heading north through Morgan and Marion Counties.”

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) launched a new website today to keep the public informed on the Interstate 69 project.

Below is an excerpt from the press release;

“INDOT recognizes the value of engaging the public throughout project development,” said INDOT Deputy Director of Major Programs Samuel Sarvis.  “The I-69 Project Web site is one of many tools that ensures the public is not only informed of project activity, but also provides multiple opportunities for input to the decision-making process.  I encourage you to visit the website at www.i69indyevn.org.”

Late last week, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica unveiled a comprehensive, multi-year transportation reauthorization proposal that would authorize six years of funding for highway, transit and highway safety programs.

At the announcement, U.S. Congressman Larry Bucshon, a member of the House Transportation Committee spoke in support of the proposal and took the opportunity to praise Indiana’s Major Moves legislation that is a funding mechanism for the Interstate 69 project.

Other highlights of the bill include:

• Project delivery will be streamlined by cutting bureaucratic red tape and delegating more decision authority to the States and setting hard deadlines for Federal agencies to approve projects.
• Consolidate or eliminate over 70 programs that are duplicative or do not serve a federal purpose.
• The bill will leverage exisiting Federal resources and adopts Federal policies that will entice the private sector to invest in transportation infrastructure.

Local officials were joined by representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) last week to announce a $2 million dollar grant to the City of Washington, IN to build a new intersection off of U.S. 50 to connect with the new Interstate 69 highway.

As reported in the Evansville Courier and Press;

“Washington Mayor Larry Haag said the community is positioning itself to make the most of its link to the I-69 project. In fact, he is so optimistic that he believes the city will double its population of 12,500 over the next 10 years.”

Good news for the City of Washington!

Since the Bloomington Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) voted to remove the Interstate 69 project from its long-range plan last month, significant public outcry is putting a spotlight on the issue once again.

We’ve been told that the MPO has received several emails and calls from citizens living in Monroe and Greene County, as well as letters from elected officials throughout southwest Indiana opposing their recent action.

The Evansville Courier and Press printed one of those letters that was signed by the Mayors of Princeton, Oakland City, Petersburg, Loogootee and Washington.

Below is an excerpt from the letter. 

The Interstate 69 that is built today is the result of financial commitment, planning and the recognition that Southwest Indiana cannot be left behind in the economic efforts to grow the entire state. Daniels recognized this when he accelerated the road construction.

We are part of this great state and we believe in I-69 and its prospects for the future. It is time for those who have a viable transportation system in Bloomington to cooperate with those communites in the southern portion of the state who need and would utilize I-69 as a major transportation artery to Bloomington and Indianapolis

Don’t forget about economic need. We count, too.