By Suze Parker, Contributing Author
In August, Indiana transportation leaders celebrated a monumental achievement: the opening of the sixth and final section of America’s newest interstate.
The 26-mile Interstate-69 Finish Line project, the last section of the 142-mile I-69 corridor in Indiana, connected Martinsville to Indianapolis and closed the gap in the highway that now spans from the state’s southwest corner to its capital. There, it also connects to Interstate-465, the beltway around Indianapolis, and to the continuation of I-69 north to Port Huron, Mich., on the border of Canada.
Built over 16 years, the completed project fulfilled a vision that was more than 70 years in the making.
“Indiana is the crossroads of America,” said HNTB Project Manager Tim Miller, who began working on I-69 with the Indiana Department of Transportation in 2003. “Indianapolis has more interstate connections than any other city in the country, but the critical link to the southwest corner of the state was missing.
“With the completion of the I-69 Finish Line project, Indiana has demonstrated its commitment to investing in safety and mobility and in realizing the state’s future potential. I-69 will always be a legacy project for the state and for all the people who worked on it.”
In 2003, then-Indiana Gov. Frank O’Bannon chose the highway’s route, from Evansville through Bloomington to Indianapolis. The Federal Highway Administration approved the same route in its 2004 Record of Decision. Mitch Daniels, who became governor in 2005, leased the Indiana Toll Road in the northern part of the state, providing funding that allowed work to begin on I-69.
The interstate project was divided into six sections. The first three, totaling 67 miles, opened in November 2012, each with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Daniels.
Three years later, in December 2015, section four opened with an event headlined by Gov. Mike Pence, who had succeeded Daniels.
The fifth section of I-69 – which, like the Finish Line, involved converting State Road 37 to interstate standards – opened in 2018.
Gov. Eric Holcomb, who followed Pence, named completion of I-69 as a top priority when he took office. His “Next Level Connections” plan included funding to achieve completion of section six in 2024. That section was dubbed the “I-69 Finish Line” in a nod to the Indianapolis area’s racing heritage and because it represented the project’s completion being in sight. Construction began in 2019.
The Last 26 Miles
The I-69 Finish Line project upgraded more than 26 miles of State Route 37 to interstate standards. The project team moved more than 47 million cubic yards of earth, constructed 10 new interchanges, eliminated at-grade crossings, built more than 35 lane miles of local access roads through Morgan, Johnson and Marion Counties and built, rehabilitated or replaced dozens of bridges.
Fourteen new overpasses and underpasses enable local traffic to safely cross the highway.
Nearly the entire alignment needed new drainage infrastructure. The team also relocated miles of water, sewer, gas and electric utility lines – some of which had been in place along S.R. 37 for 50 or more years – as well as Indiana University high-speed fiber that connects Indianapolis to the Bloomington campus.
Because of the amount of freight traffic now expected on the Finish Line corridor, much of the existing pavement was taken down to dirt and completely rebuilt to interstate standards.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) also installed three virtual weigh-in-motion (VWIM) systems, which weigh trucks as they cross the pavement without requiring them to slow down or pull off the highway into a weigh station.
The VWIM sites provide INDOT with high-accuracy weight monitoring and enforcement data, and it supports the agency’s efforts to preserve the interstate against premature wear.
Community Engagement
Because the final 26 miles involved upgrading S.R. 37 to interstate standards, a key challenge during the planning phase was gaining consensus from the three counties and multiple cities along the corridor on the placement of interchanges.
The existing four-lane highway included 92 at-grade intersections with state roads, U.S. routes and driveways. Interstate standards require interchanges as the only means of access.
The project team worked closely with local communities, including city and county public officials, local planning agencies and emergency responders, to ensure that the new access points – 10 in all – provided convenient and unrestricted connections.
Emergency responder accessibility, east-west state roads and several other interchanges with high current and projected traffic volumes received priority.
The new local roads provide access to neighboring homes and businesses.
The Finish Line required acquisition of more than 700 parcels. The project team met individually with property owners to review the appraisal and buying process and conducted 15 public information meetings to build trust with these critical stakeholders.
In Martinsville, where six miles of roadway were constructed through the city, relationship building with city officials and local businesses resulted in an agreement to close S.R. 37 for one year and complete the work quickly, rather than leaving the artery open but extending the construction schedule for a second year.
Community engagement also influenced aesthetics along the interstate.
“For a long time, the industry has focused primarily on how interstates function,” Miller said. “INDOT and its partners also wanted the interstate to blend into the communities. The project team assembled an aesthetic committee in each jurisdiction to incorporate cost-effective visual treatments and bring each community its own sense of place.”
In Martinsville, the Morgan County seat, the project team constructed monuments identifying the city at key locations. Noise barriers and some of the MSE walls are painted to match the color of brick used on the county courthouse, and an interstate bridge bears a large red “M” identical to the one used on the local high school.
Stakeholders in Johnson County requested decorative lighting that was incorporated into overhead bridges. Trees and green spaces were added in Marion County, where the community wanted an emphasis on green infrastructure.
Throughout construction at its peak, the project team averaged 600 to 700 inquiries per month from stakeholders and community members. A dedicated customer service team ensured that every question or comment received a personal response within 24 hours.
The Final Chapter
On Aug. 6, the final ribbon was cut on the I-69 Finish Line project, opening the interstate across Indiana and representing the close of a decades-long journey.
The cost of not completing the I-69 corridor would have far exceeded the cost of building it, Gov. Holcomb said in his presentation at the ribbon-cutting event.
The Finish Line project is expected to deliver $4.1 billion in regional economic impact over the next 20 years.
By 2045, traffic in the northern part of the corridor could reach 90,000 vehicles per day.
“From a mobility perspective, removing the 14 traffic signals from the 26 miles between Martinsville and Indianapolis has greatly increased the efficiency of the highway,” Miller said. “Prior to this project, the roadway experienced stopped conditions at each of those signals during morning and evening rush. Someone heading north could expect to hit at least three or four signals as they approached Indianapolis. Now it’s a continuous free flow.”
Projections indicated that the completed Finish Line project would cut the average time it takes to travel from Martinsville to Indianapolis by 11 minutes. The new segment of interstate highway connects area residents and commerce with industry along the Ohio River, a U.S. naval base, state universities and NCAA events in Indianapolis.
Removing the traffic signals, in addition to changing the roadway into a four-lane divided highway and eliminating at-grade intersections, contributes to improved safety, as well. The Finish Line project is expected to result in 1,300 fewer regional crashes each year.
“The I-69 Finish Line project increases safety, thereby improving quality of life and enhancing the sense of community for the thousands of stakeholders, residents, and commuters in the region,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “This new facility will also serve as an engine that will continue to bolster economic development in Indiana.”
The transformative benefits the interstate promised kept the dream of a completed I-69 alive through decades of challenges, planning, design and construction.
“To achieve a project like the I-69 Finish Line requires a bold vision and top professionals from the DOT, the consultant and the construction team,” Miller said. “You need a clear mission in mind and should revisit that mission at every step of the process. The governor’s office, INDOT and the project team remained intent on having the I-69 Finish Line project open to traffic by the end of 2024.
“Through formidable challenges, there was constant interaction between INDOT, HNTB and the contractor, with every member working together to achieve the mission, fulfill the commitments made to stakeholders, continue to invest in our nation’s interstate system and reach that finish line.” RB
Suze Parker is a public relations consultant and writer who frequently writes about roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects.
