State presenting Interstate 69 extension proposals

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Indiana's highway agency has set a public meeting on the options being considered for the Interstate 69 extension between Bloomington and Martinsville.

Department of Transportation officials will present the alternatives for interchanges and access roads on the 21-mile stretch during the April 24 meeting at the Monroe County Fairgrounds Auditorium.

The Herald-Times reports two proposals use the existing Indiana 37 as an access road in several locations. Estimates for those plans are about $315 million.

Other proposals use the pavement and structures of Indiana 37 in many locations and include narrower grassy medians and highway shoulders. Those proposals are estimated at $250 million to $267 million.

Construction work is under way on a nearly 70-mile stretch of the highway's route from near Evansville to southwest of Bloomington.