I-69 Martinsville phase set to open

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Gov. Eric Holcomb volition articulation section leaders Monday greeting to inaugurate the opening of I-69 successful Martinsville.

Once opened, drivers volition nary longer person to detour astir Martinsville and Mooresville to get to and from Indianapolis and Bloomington.

“That authoritative detour route, which follows (State Road) 39 to (state roads) 67 and 144, that authoritative detour volition beryllium removed,” said Natalie Garrett, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).

For the past year, postulation has been diverted done Martinsville and surrounding communities arsenic crews worked to decorativeness the interstate.

“I unrecorded successful Waverly, which is 15 minutes up the highway, and each nighttime erstwhile I spell location it’s a pain. Sometimes, the roads are closed, adjacent connected my mode into enactment today,” said Cassie Ray, the manager astatine Greek’s Pizzeria successful downtown Martinsville.

“Between Martinsville and Indy it’s an mean of 11 minutes,” Garrett said.

Over the adjacent fewer days the barriers volition commencement coming down arsenic INDOT prepares to determination the I-69 task into Johnson County. State Road 37 volition beryllium unfastened determination during construction; however, drivers should expect periodic lane closures, but they volition nary longer person to divert done Mooresville to get into downtown Indianapolis from points southbound of Martinsville.

INDOT predicts the full I-69 task spanning from Evansville to I-465 volition beryllium completed by 2024 and trim commute times for drivers.

• $1B successful contracts person been awarded for the last agelong of the I-69 project