Interstate 69 in Indiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article contains information about a planned or expected future road.
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the road's construction or completion approaches and more information becomes available.

Interstate 69

Maintained by Indiana Department of Transportation

South end:

I-465 / SR 37 at Binford Boulevard in Indianapolis

Major
junctions:

US 24 in Ft. Wayne, IN

US 30 in Ft. Wayne, IN

I-80 / I-90 near Angola, IN

North end:

I-69 at Michigan state line

Indiana roads
< SR 68		SR 69 >
Interstates - U.S. Routes - State Roads - Former

In the U.S. state of Indiana, Interstate 69 presently runs northeast from Indianapolis and traverses through the city of Fort Wayne. The route carries motorists to the state of Michigan.

[edit] Route description

From the Michigan state line to Fort Wayne, I-69 bypasses the former route of US-27. Before 2001, I-69 shared its alignment with US-27, but US-27 has since been truncated to the I-69/SR-3 interchange on the north side of Fort Wayne. From the I-469 interchange on the north side of Fort Wayne to the Coliseum Boulevard interchange west of downtown, I-69 is multiplexed with US-30. US-33 joins I-69 at this interchange and follows I-69 south. US-24 is also signed with I-69 between Jefferson Road and the I-469 interchange near Fort Wayne International Airport. South of Fort Wayne, I-69 continues south, multiplexing with US-35 between Gas City, and Daleville. I-69 then turns west-southwest near Anderson. It enters Indianapolis from the northeast multiplexed with SR-37, terminating at I-465. Upon reaching the I-465 terminus, motorists exit the freeway to use I-465. Continuing straight, one will see the I-69 mainline transition to Binford Boulevard (Old SR-37) beyond the I-465 interchange.

The portion of I-69 between I-465 and the Indiana Toll Road is part of the original interstate highway system as it was mapped out in 1956. It was extended north to Lansing in the 1960s. Until recently, all of I-69 in Indiana was 4-lanes, but the Indiana Department of Transportation has been reconstructing and widening I-69 to six lanes through Fort Wayne. Likewise INDOT has widened parts of I-69 northeast of Indianapolis to either six or eight lanes during the past decade.

[edit] History

The original southern termination point of I-69 was to have been at the I-65/I-70 interchange (known locally as the "spaghetti bowl") near 13th and College Avenue in Indianapolis, Indiana. In fact, the grading and overpasses for this connection's ramps can still be seen at that location. Later, the State of Indiana changed its mind and sought to designate the freeway connecting the spaghetti bowl to the I-69/I-465 interchange (approximately 11 miles (18 km)) as Interstate 165. Due to a political fight over the inner-city portions of I-70 and I-65, it was decided to scrap I-165. In its place, the state widened I-70 from eight to 10 lanes and reworked its eastside interchange with I-465 to handle the additional traffic loads from the northeastern suburbs.

[edit] Interstate 69 Extension Planning and Construction

I-69 has been divided into a number of sections of independent utility (SIUs).

[edit] SIU 1

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (March 2008)

SIU 1 includes the existing I-69 from Port Huron, Michigan, to the I-465 interchange on the northeast side of Indianapolis. It was built in stages between 1956 and 1992, with the most recent segments opening in the vicinity of Lansing, Michigan in 1992. Work in SIU 1 includes mainline upgrades and operational improvements. Work to add a travel lane in each direction, including bridge and pavement reconstruction, and interchange reconfiguration has been ongoing since 2002 in the Fort Wayne, Indiana, vicinity. SIU 1 also includes spot improvements and pavement rehabilitation to the I-469 loop east for Fort Wayne and additional mainline and interchange improvements to I-69 northeast of Indianapolis.

I-69 bypasses Fort Wayne to the west, while I-469 bypasses the city to the east. There have been discussions in recent years of rerouting I-69 through downtown Fort Wayne to improve access to the city and spur economic growth in the city center. The most logical alignment would follow US-27 south through downtown Fort Wayne to Paulding Road, then turn west, following Paulding Road to Airport Expressway, then following Airport Expressway and rejoining the existing alignment near Fort Wayne International Airport. As of August 2007 however, INDOT has no formal plans to reroute I-69 into downtown Fort Wayne, although the issue continues to be hotly discussed among Fort Wayne residents.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] SIU 2

This segment includes the existing I-465 loop around Indianapolis. It is most likely that I-69 will be routed using the eastern half of I-465 to the SR-37 interchange south of Indianapolis. This portion of I-465 was reconstructed in 2000.

There's also speculation of a route through the city, along the old SR-37/Binford Blvd corridor. No official route has been determined at this time. [1]

On November 9, 2006, Governor Mitch Daniels announced plans for a 75-mile (121 km) outer loop around Indianapolis known as the Indiana Commerce Corridor. If constructed, the route would have been 100% privately funded, with a portion of the revenues possibly applied to constructing I-69 from Indianapolis to the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center. The remaining portion of the highway to Evansville, Indiana is already funded with funds from the Major Moves initiative.^[1]^[2] Strong opposition from local residents and the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives forced Governor Daniels to abandon the ICC plan on March 24, 2007, although House Democrats assured southwest Indiana residents that this decision would not affect construction on I-69 between Indianapolis and the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center.^[3]^[4]

On October 24, 2007, INDOT announced a $600 million plan to reconstruct the I-69/I-465 interchange on the northeast side of Indianapolis, that includes widening about 8 miles (13 km) of I-69, I-465, and Binford Boulevard. Environmental studies and design work are currently underway, and construction is expected to begin in 2012.^[5]

[edit] SIU 3

See also: Southern Indiana Toll Road

From Indianapolis, Interstate 69 is planned to follow the route of State Road 37 south via Martinsville to Bloomington, Indiana, where a new terrain routing to the southwest will serve the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, Washington, and Oakland City, Indiana. The route will then intersect Interstate 64 (where SIU 3 ends) and encompass existing Interstate 164 through the Evansville, Indiana, area, crossing the Ohio River a few miles upstream of the existing U.S. Route 41 bridges. (SIU 4)

[edit] Tier 1 Studies

The Indiana Department of Transportation has been highly methodical in its analysis and mitigation of the potential environmental impacts associated with the planned I-69 extension through southwest Indiana. As such INDOT has taken a two-tier approach to completing the environmental documentation required for construction to proceed. During the Tier 1 studies, 14 route alternatives were analyzed and compared against the "No-Build" option. Of the 14 alternatives, nine alternatives were eliminated from consideration as either having too great of an impact on the natural and human environment, and/or failing to achieve the stated goals established for the I-69 extension. The five alternatives that remained were as follows:

[edit] Alternative 1

US-41 to Terre Haute; Interstate 70 from Terre Haute to Indianapolis.
Favored heavily by Terre Haute.

[edit] Alternative 2

US-41 to Vincennes; Indiana 67 from Vincennes to Indianapolis.
Favored by Princeton and Vincennes.

[edit] Alternative 3

One of the two mostly overland routes along Indiana 57 crossing cross country to Indiana 37 near Bloomington and take Indiana 37 to Indianapolis.
Largely Supported by the Evansville Area.

[edit] Alternative 4

Indiana 57 to US 231 near Bloomfield; US 231 from there to Spencer; from there either going cross country to Martinsville; Indiana 37 from Martinsville to Indianapolis, or continuing north to Interstate 70; Interstate 70 to Indianapolis.
Had more support from the "Hoosier Hills Area"

[edit] Alternative 5

Indiana 57 to US 50 bypass just south of Washington; Following US 50 Sparingly eastward through Daviess and Martin Counties to Indiana 37 just east of Bedford; Indiana 37 from Bedford to Indianapolis.
Favored mainly by Bedford.

[edit] Selected Alternative

In 2003 INDOT presented the Tier 1 EIS to the Federal Highway Administration, which identified Alternative 3C (following SR 37 between Indianapolis and Bloomington, then over new terrain to US-231 north of Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center, then following SR-57 south-southwest to the I-64/I-164 interchange northeast of Evansville) as the least environmentally damaging practical alternative. Subsequently in March 2003 the FHWA issued a Record of Decision approving the Tier 1 EIS for SIU 3.

[edit] Tier 2 Studies and Lawsuits

During Tier 2 studies, INDOT further divided SIU 3 into six smaller segments, allowing work on each subsegment to proceed at its own pace. On December 21, 2006, INDOT announced completion of the Tier 2 draft EIS^[6] for the 13-mile (21 km) section between I-64 and State Road 64 near Oakland City. Officials further noted that they will accelerate the final EIS and construction on the southernmost 2-mile (3 km) section from I-64 to State Road 68 to facilitate access to the Toyota's Princeton plant.^[7] On April 30, Governor Daniels signed the state's two-year $26 billion budget, which includes $119 million to fund construction of the southernmost segment of I-69, ensuring that construction begins as scheduled in the summer of 2008. The Final EIS for the southernmost section was issued on October 22, 2007.

On October 3, 2006, environmental groups and six citizens along the I-69 corridor filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging that state and federal agencies "rigged" environmental studies and violated several federal laws in the selection of a new-terrain route for I-69. They further pressed the court for a summary ruling directing the FHWA and INDOT to route I-69 over I-70 and US-41. Judge David Hamilton disagreed, and on December 10, 2007 he issued a 58-page ruling upholding the selected route for I-69 and the Tier 1 Record of Decision. His ruling did however, leave open the possibility that the FHWA and INDOT may be forced to reconsider some or all of the previously-rejected Tier 1 alternatives if there are new significant findings during the Tier 2 studies that were absent from the Tier 1 EIS. Barring any new major findings in the Tier 2 studies, Judge Hamilton's ruling paves the way for construction to begin on the southernmost segment in mid-2008.

On December 12, 2007, the FHWA issued its Record of Decision giving final federal approval for construction to begin on the section between I-64/I-164 and State Road 64 near Oakland City. ^[8]^[9] INDOT awarded the first SIU 3 construction contract to Gohmann Asphalt and Construction Company of Sellersburg, Indiana on February 6, 2008. This contract, scheduled for completion by May 31, 2008, includes removal of buildings and vegetation from the I-69 right-of-way between I-64 and State Road 68. Construction contracts for the southernmost segment are scheduled for bid on April 2, 2008. INDOT will build its extension of I-69 using the design-build method, and plans to have the first section from I-64 to SR-68 open to traffic by June 2010. ^[10]^[11] Meanwhile, utility companies have started relocating power lines, water mains, and gas pipelines in preparation for construction. It is possible that this segment may initially be signed as an extension of I-164 until the remainder of SIU 3 is complete.

[edit] Financing Construction

To fund construction of this extension, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels introduced a proposal known as "Major Moves" in early 2006. It provided $700 million from the Indiana Toll Road lease to be used to complete nearly 20 years of environmental studies and construct about half of the proposed extension (between the I-64/164 interchange and the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center). It also allowed for the construction of 117 miles (188 km) of the 142-mile (229 km) I-69 extension to Evansville to be constructed as the Southern Indiana Toll Road. Due to ongoing controversy over making this portion of the extension a toll-road, the governor announced in November 2006 that the entire stretch of the highway would be toll-free, subject to construction of the Indiana Commerce Connector (SIU 2).^[12] Officials with the INDOT have since stated that I-69 will be toll-free regardless of whether or not the Indiana Commerce Connector is constructed.^[13] Additionally, the U.S. Congress allocated an additional $14 million in the 2005 SAFETEA-LU authorization to construct I-69 Evansville to Indianapolis.^[14]^[15] When SIU 3 and the Indiana portion of SIU 4 are completed, I-69 will be approximately 335 miles (539 km) in Indiana.

[edit] SIU 4

Interstate 69 is planned to follow the existing Interstate 164 south from Interstate 64 to the Ohio River near Green River Road. I-69 will then continue south (instead of turning west with I-164), crossing the Ohio on a new bridge between Evansville and Henderson. I-69 will continue south from the Ohio River to the Audubon Parkway, then turn southwest to join the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway in the vicinity of Interchange 63 south of Henderson. The Final EIS is currently being prepared for this segment of I-69, but this portion of the route has not yet been funded. Construction of the new Ohio River crossing and new roadway on the Kentucky side is expected to cost approximately $800 million. Indiana and Kentucky officials have said construction on the new Ohio River Bridge will not begin until at least 2020, after two new crossings near Louisville are completed.^[16] As Indiana prepares to break ground on SIU-3 within the next few months, Kentucky officials have indicated that collecting tolls may be the only feasible option for completing the I-69 bridge as traditional federal and state funding for such projects is drying up. To reflect this, Senate Majority Leader David Williams (R-Burkesville) introduced Senate Bill 7 on January 25, 2007. If enacted, the bill would establish public authorities to oversee construction, maintenance and operations, and collect tolls on four new Ohio River crossings: the two Louisville bridges (currently under construction), the I-69 bridge, and the Spence Bridge. Senate Bill 7 has bipartisan support in both chambers of the Kentucky Legislature and by Governor Steve Beshear, a Democrat. The bill also provides state and local oversight, each having a seven-member board with four members appointed by the governor and three members from the local area.^[17]

[edit] SIU 27

SIU 27 is a spur route off the I-69 mainline that encompasses I-94 from Port Huron, Michigan to Chicago via Detroit, Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Gary, Indiana. While this SIU was completed as I-94 during the late 1950s and 1960s, it serves as a critical transportation corridor between Chicago and eastern Canada. Work in association with the I-69 project includes a complete reconstruction of nearly the entire I-94 corridor. As of December 2006, reconstruction of the Borman Expressway between the Indiana East-West Toll Road and the Illinois state line is nearing completion. Work is underway on reconstructing the segment of I-94 in Illinois from the Indiana state line to the I-80/I-294 split south of Chicago. Meanwhile rebuilding of the Dan Ryan Expressway through Downtown Chicago is ongoing. SIU 27 also includes the Illiana Expressway, a proposed toll road planned to start at Interstate 65 in northwest Indiana and head west to Interstate 57 south of Chicago.

[edit] Controversy

Particularly controversial has been the routing in Indiana. The planned extension to Evansville has pitted cities, towns, and counties against one another. The greatest support for I-69 is in Indiana's far southwestern counties and Evansville, while the greatest opposition is between Bloomington and Indianapolis. Bloomington and Martinsville both oppose upgrading State Road 37 to Interstate 69. This has led to southwestern Indiana communities accusing highway opponents further north of trying to isolate this region from the rest of the state by blocking construction of a direct highway link to Indianapolis. To the west, communities along US-41 favor the presently selected alignment in lieu of the only other feasible routing: I-70 to Terre Haute, then US-41 south to Evansville. Regardless of the I-69 routing, an Interstate-quality bypass is slated to be built east of Terre Haute, which supports the I-70/US-41 routing over the selected routing of I-69 for economic reasons.

The Indiana Department of Transportation, current and past governors, and businesses and elected officials in Evansville and adjacent southwest Indiana communities, have favored a direct route via Bloomington that would be built over new terrain from Bloomington to Evansville. Supporters argued that this direct route reduces the travel time to Indianapolis as well as improves access to Bloomington for residents of southwestern Indiana, something a route via Terre Haute would not achieve. State DOT officials have also pointed out that Indiana 37 will eventually be upgraded from a 4-lane arterial route to a freeway, with or without Interstate 69. After extensive review of the alternative routes as well as detailed environmental studies, the state selected the new terrain route via Bloomington.

Environmentalists claim the construction of I-69 will lead to the destruction of 1,500 acres (6 km²) of forest and more than 300 acres (1.2 km²) of wetlands. Some of the destroyed land lies within the Hoosier National Forest and the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area, a habitat vital to some endangered species.^[18] Contrary to these claims, official EIS maps that illustrate the selected corridor of I-69 (Alternative 3C) passes well to the west of the Hoosier National Forest, and avoids the Patoka National Wildlife Refuge as well. Environmental groups and local elected officials filed suit in federal court October 2, 2006, to block further study and construction of the route, alleging that the process was rigged to favor the routing via Bloomington.^[19] This lawsuit was dismissed by U.S. District Judge David F. Hamilton on December 12, 2007, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2008.

Another area of controversy arose in late 2005 when governor Mitch Daniels proposed levying tolls on the highway to finance its construction, either as a state project or a public-private partnership, in order to accelerate the project. As the route would overlay the existing Indiana 37 between Bloomington and Indianapolis, and there currently is no other free alternative route between Bloomington and Martinsville, this proposal has raised concerns among local residents and businesses.

In March 2006, Governor Mitch Daniels signed a bill known as "Major Moves" that leased the Indiana East-West Toll Road, but also included a compromise on constructing I-69 in southwest Indiana. As part of the deal, the legislation permitted Governor Daniels to enter a similar public-private partnership for construction of 117 miles (188 km) of I-69 as the Southern Indiana Toll Road from Martinsville to the I-64/I-164 interchange, while the remaining 25 miles (40 km) from Martinsville to the I-465/Indiana 37 interchange in Indianapolis would remain toll-free. On June 20, 2006, the Indiana Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge brought on by I-69 opponents, upholding Major Moves legislation in a 4-0 decision.

The toll road option was highly unpopular, even among many who supported the extension via Bloomington. As a result Governor Mitch Daniels announced in December 2006 that I-69 through southwest would be toll-free.

[edit] Exit list

County	Location	#	Destinations	Notes
Marion	Indianapolis		Binford Boulevard - Indianapolis	Continuation beyond I-465; former SR 37
		0	I-465 / SR 37 south	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; south end of SR 37 overlap
		1	82nd Street - Castleton
		3	96th Street
Hamilton	Fishers	3	96th Street
	Fishers	5	SR 37 north / 116th Street – Fishers, Noblesville	North end of SR 37 overlap
		10	SR 238 – Noblesville, Fortville
Madison		14	SR 13 – Fortville, Lapel
		19	SR 38 – Pendleton, Noblesville
		22	SR 9 south / SR 67 south – Pendleton, Anderson	South end of SR 9/SR 67 overlap
	Anderson	26	SR 9 south / SR 109 – Anderson	North end of SR 9 overlap
Delaware	Daleville	34	SR 32 / SR 67 north – Anderson, Muncie	North end of SR 67 overlap
		41	SR 332 – Frankton, Muncie
		45	US 35 south / SR 28 – Muncie, Alexandria, Albany	South end of US 35 overlap
Grant		55	SR 26 – Fairmount, Hartford City
		59	US 35 north / SR 22 – Gas City, Upland	North end of US 35 overlap
		64	SR 18 – Marion, Montpelier
Huntington		73	SR 218 – Warren
		78	SR 5 – Huntington, Warren
	Markle	86	US 224 – Huntington, Markle
Allen	Fort Wayne	96A	I-469 east / US 24 east / US 33 south	South end of US 24/US 33 overlap
			96B	Lafayette Center Road west - Roanoke
		99	Lower Huntington Road & Airport Expressway
		102	Jefferson Blvd US 24 west – Huntington, Fort Wayne	North end of US 24 overlap
		105	Illinois Rd SR 14 west – Fort Wayne, South Whitley	Signed as exits 105A (east) and 105B (west)
		109	Goshen Rd (& Coliseum Blvd) US 30 west / US 33 north – Columbia City, Elkhart	North end of US 33 overlap; south end of US 30 overlap; signed as exits 109A (east) and 109B (west/north)
		111	Lima Rd US 27 south / SR 3 north – Fort Wayne, Kendallville	Signed as exits 111A (south) and 111B (north)
		112	Coldwater Road	Signed as exits 112A (south) and 112B (north)
		115	I-469 / US 30 east	North end of US 30 overlap
		116	Dupont Rd SR 1 north (Dupont Road)
DeKalb		126	County Road 11-A
	Auburn	129	SR 8 – Garrett, Auburn
		134	US 6 – Kendallville, Waterloo
	Ashley	140	SR 4 – Ashley, Hudson, Hamilton
Steuben	Ashley	140	SR 4 – Ashley, Hudson, Hamilton
		148	US 20 – Lagrange, Angola
		150	County Road 200 West – Lake James, Crooked Lake
		154	SR 127 to SR 120 / SR 727 – Orland, Fremont, Angola, Pokagon State Park
		156	I-80 / I-90
		157	To SR 120 / Lake George Road – Jamestown, Fremont, Orland