‘Historic milestone’: I-69 between Evansville and Indianapolis opens to traffic

This week, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) celebrated the opening of the I-69 corridor connecting Evansville to Indianapolis.

On August 6, INDOT held a ceremony to officially open I-69, a 142-mile corridor from Evansville to Indianapolis, as part of the I-69 Finish Line project.

Officials say that as a result of the years-long construction project, I-69 now runs continuously from the Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan to Evansville, Indiana.

The project involved upgrading 26 miles of State Road 37 to interstate standards, constructing ten new interchanges, and building more than 35 lane-miles of local access roads through Morgan, Johnson and Marion Counties.

“The new interchange at I-69 and I-465 consists of two flyover ramps just west of the existing SR 37/Harding St. interchange. South of I-465, the newly constructed I-69 diverts from the current path of SR 37 north of Edgewood Ave. From the interchange, I-69 will run concurrently with I-465 to the I-69 interchange on the northeast side of Indianapolis,” INDOT said.

Construction on the first section of the I-69 Finish Line project started in July 2008.

“This historic milestone, completed three years ahead of schedule, is the culmination of decades-long conversations, planning efforts and progress,” said Governor Eric Holcomb. “The opening of the I-69 Finish Line corridor completes not only a direct connection between Evansville and Indianapolis, but also to and through Kentucky and Michigan all the way ultimately to our important Canadian and Mexican supply chain trade markets.”

“The transformation that has occurred along the I-69 Finish Line corridor over the past four-to-five years has been amazing to witness,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “I cannot overstate the gratitude I have for the thousands of men and women in our industry who have worked countless hours to bring the nation’s newest interstate to fruition.”

Learn more about the I-69/I-465 interchange in the video below.