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INDOT announces final segment of I-69 expansion

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — INDOT announced the final segment of the I-69 expansion project from Indianapolis to Martinsville will go to State Road 37. Officials say the highway will become an interstate. That stretch of the road will likely be widened and expanded up to 400 feet. INDOT says the route is the best selection with the least possible impact.

The question wasn’t if I-69 would connect to Martinsville — it was how. After much debate, that was finally decided.

“I’m glad it’s coming to a point that we know what’s going to happen then,” said longtime Martinsville resident Duane Clendenen.

Clendenen has attended many of the public meetings held by INDOT. “We need something because the traffic is horrendous during ball games. We’ll see how that works,” he said.

Traffic was just one issue addressed during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

“Of the five alternatives that were studied at length by INDOT, the State Road 37 corridor generates the best return on investment for Hoosiers, including economy, safety, traffic flow and environment,” said INDOT Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson.

Hendrickson says the decision was made after an extenstive study by the department and it’s consultant partners. The study found that there would be nearly 1400 would be avoided, travel time from Martinsville to Indianapolis would be reduced by 11 minutes and wages would also increase; $1.7 billion over 20 years.

“Once complete, I-69 is projected to generate 4,600 new permanent jobs and more than $3.5 billion in new personal income by 2025,” said Hendrickson.

But, it’ll also displace more than 275 residents and 120 businesses, possibly Clendenen’s church.

“I attend the tabernacle there. 400 feet from 37, that may be an impace there. I don’t know if we’ve heard anything there yet,” he said.

There is still more planning on the agenda, like exactly where to expand the road. INDOT will continue to have meetings open to the public. The next one is Monday April, 4 at Perry Meridian High School and another on Tuesday April 5, at Martinsville High School.

As far as a timeline, the latest release from INDOT said more environmental studies could be done by the first quarter of 2018.

For more information on the project, click here.