WASHINGTON —
The timeline for I-69’s arrival has not been moved up from December of this year to mid-November, but they are hopeful, the Indiana Department of Transportation confirmed Thursday.
While there were some news reports the 67-mile interstate between Evansville and NSWC Crane would be open for traffic in mid-November, INDOT backpedaled that assessment and will stick with the end of December deadline.
“We do not have any firm opening date other than the end of 2012,” INDOT District Press Representative Cher Elliott said.
Last month, INDOT said all construction phases of I-69’s Section 1 and 2 are on schedule and due to the drought and dry weather, construction days have not been lost.
“There is the potential to be open in November,” Elliott said.
She said the state is not moving up their construction timelines due to the unexpected that could happen.
“You just never know,” Elliott said. “We have to keep the unexpected in mind.”
Last year, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels gave INDOT the deadline to be finished by the end of 2012 for Sections 1-3 of I-69, which will cover the Evansville to Crane portion of the interstate. The Crane to Bloomington portion, Sections 4 and 5, should be finished by 2014.
As of last month, construction on I-69’s Sections 2 and 3 in Gibson, Pike and Daviess counties, is anywhere from 75 to 50 percent complete.
Most of Section 3, which bisects Daviess County down the center to a very large interchange at U.S.231 and the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, is 60 to 75 percent complete.
Daniels has said the remaining portion, converting SR 37 to an interstate to Indianapolis, will have to rest with the next governor. The $600 million in funding for the interstate comes from Major Moves money.
While cars are not allowed on the road yet, INDOT is working with local communities on the interstate’s path on events that would not get interstate access when the road opens, like bicycle rides, antique tractors and other events.
“We had our first initial meeting last week,” Elliott said.
“There were some really cool ideas.”
INDOT is going to continue working with localities on the events.
The story was originally reported by the Princeton Daily Clarion and other outlets on Wednesday.
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