There are some that opine that I-69 will never happen in their lifetime. If those people are still around in two years, they will see the interstate from Crane to Evansville finished.

Earlier this week, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced that construction of the planned interstate will be finished by the time he leaves office in 2012, not 2015 as originally thought.

Friday, INDOT Deputy Commissioner of Major Projects Sam Sarvis said it may be a daunting task, but the road will be finished.

“We are nearing the end of the planning process, and I think we just recognized with the good bid prices that we’ve seen and the opportunity of creating jobs and getting those jobs quicker,” Sarvis said. “It just all fell into place, and we decided to speed it up.”

Sarvis confirmed what Daniels hinted in Boonville on Wednesday that two proposed interchanges, one in northern Pike County and in southern Daviess County, will not be part of INDOT’s recommendation to the federal Department of Transportation. There will be three interchanges in Daviess County, one in Washington, at SR 58 and near the entrance to NSWC Crane.

Earlier this year, interchanges were proposed at CR 375S in Daviess and CR 600N in Pike. During a public hearing on the route in March, several spoke up and asked for the interchange to remain.

The reason for their omission, Sarvis said, was traffic. The amount of traffic that would use the interchange would not be feasible with the expense.

Sarvis did say the possibility of interchanges at both locations could be placed in the future.

“In Pike County, we will buy the right-of-ways for that interchange,” Sarvis said. “We believe there will be a need to build an interchange.”

But not in southern Daviess County.

“If something were to happen in economic development at that interchange, we will start buying right-of-way for that interchange,” Sarvis said.

Also helping move construction along is a change to a design-build method of construction, Sarvis said. In the design-build method, engineers and contractors work together to design closer to where they are building and make construction faster.

“Typically we would design to 100 percent plans, and put it out to a contractor,” Sarvis said. “With design-build, you design about 30 percent of your plans and put it out to a contractor. So you can get that work out to market quicker and they engineer it as they go.”

A design firm is in final negotiations to be selected for Sections 2 and 3, moving from Oakland City to Crane, Sarvis said. In addition to the interchanges, the medians may be narrowed, and a technique called stage pavement will be used.

Janelle Lemon, an I-69 Project Manager, explained stage pavement as instead of planning for 20 years of pavement, the window will be shortened to 10 years and additions will be made as the need arises. Sarvis explained it as building as needed and protecting tax dollars.

“As you look at the maintenance, you would be there in 10 years,” Lemon said. “It’s working to progressively to build where you need the pavement 30 years down the road.”

Environmental mitigation for the project is already starting in Daviess County, Lemon said. The process of mitigation is working with state and federal environmental agencies to replace what trees and natural habitats that could be disturbed with construction.

“Every ground we disturb we have to put back in kind,” Lemon said.

Lemon said the federal government will give its decision and approval by Spring of 2010 for both sections.

Sarvis said the “onus is all on them” to make sure the interstate will be drivable by 2012.

“It’s an extremely aggressive goal,” Sarvis said. “I’m confident in the construction industry to get it done if we deliver the contracts on time.”

In May, the estimate to build the entire interstate was raised from $1.7 billion to $3.1 billion. The $700 million to build the first three sections from Crane to Evansville will be paid for with Major Moves money.

“We always believed $700 million would be enough for sections 1 to 3,” Sarvis said. “We believe by using these methodologies that will come in cheaper.”

But he cautioned that planning for the last stages of the project are not in full detail.

“The most important fact is we have $700 million in Major Moves, and we can build to Crane with that money,” Sarvis said.

Local leaders were happy with this week’s announcement of the interstate. Washington Mayor Larry Haag said the city is seeing a great deal of activity from I-69 planning and preconstruction.

The shorter deadline, Haag said, will not hurt Washington in its plans to develop the area around the city’s interchange.

“The great thing about (the deadline) is that we were planning like this was going to happen soon and it’s here,” Haag said. “Sure it’s going to be a fast timetable but it’s going to be fantastic for Washington.”

Haag said he is working with landowners and economic developers, like Daviess County Economic Development Corporation Director Ron Arnold, to make sure business knows about the opportunities.

Arnold said Friday the 2012 deadline will make it easier for development along the I-69 corridor.

“We’ve told people that it’s coming and when they see dirt coming, it makes it more believable,” Arnold said. “It’s a huge benefit.”

Sarvis believes that Washington will be an epicenter of I-69 construction.

“Our folks are going to be here the consultants are going to be here,” Sarvis said. “There’s going to be a tremendous amount of activity for the next three years.”