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I-69 "Expected" To Open "By The End" of 2024

MyTeamIsOnTheFloor

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Construction began on the Bloomington-Martinsville segment in late 2014.

Evansville to Bloomington took from 2008 to 2015

Took this quote from Construction Digest - because the INDOT website is now basically a "data dump" site - where the meaningful and helpful is hopelessly hidden amongst the trivial, and also full of self-serving "whack your proud government on the back" crap. Got sick of sifting through the crap and went to this page:


Much more informative. Cut to the chase:

“The original section of Interstate 69 in Indiana, from the Michigan state line to the northeast side of Indianapolis was completed in 1971 and is approximately 157 miles. Construction began on the portion from I-64 at Evansville to I-465 at Indianapolis in 2008. Today, 114 miles of that portion are open to traffic. Once Section 6 is complete, that portion will total 142 miles. Section 1 opened to traffic in 2009, Sections 2 and 3 in 2012, Section 4 in 2015, and Section 5 in 2018.”

So bottom line - the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons will probably also be spoiled by traffic woes.
 
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Construction began on the Bloomington-Martinsville segment in late 2014.

Evansville to Bloomington took from 2008 to 2015

Took this quote from Construction Digest - because the INDOT website is now basically a "data dump" site - where the meaningful and helpful is hopelessly hidden amongst the trivial, and also full of self-serving "whack your proud government on the back" crap. Got sick of sifting through the crap and went to this page:


Much more informative. Cut to the chase:

“The original section of Interstate 69 in Indiana, from the Michigan state line to the northeast side of Indianapolis was completed in 1971 and is approximately 157 miles. Construction began on the portion from I-64 at Evansville to I-465 at Indianapolis in 2008. Today, 114 miles of that portion are open to traffic. Once Section 6 is complete, that portion will total 142 miles. Section 1 opened to traffic in 2009, Sections 2 and 3 in 2012, Section 4 in 2015, and Section 5 in 2018.”

So bottom line - the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons will probably also be spoiled by traffic woes.

Add the extra two years of additional delays that INDOT has historically delivered and we'll be looking at 2026... 😡
 
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INDOT actually did a good job on the Bton to Martinsville stretch once they took over from that bullshit public/private consortium that Daniels set up.
How is it our man Mitch gets a pass on virtually everything, but he had some of the most major f-ups in long, excruciatingly idiotic state leadership? Look up what he accomplished with the privatization of the state welfare department. Many really good folks paid a serious price for some very poorly thought-thru decisions.
 
How is it our man Mitch gets a pass on virtually everything, but he had some of the most major f-ups in long, excruciatingly idiotic state leadership? Look up what he accomplished with the privatization of the state welfare department. Many really good folks paid a serious price for some very poorly thought-thru decisions.
He was Pathetic. Screwed over our teachers. Sold the 80/90 toll road to China. Just a tire fire.
 
He was Pathetic. Screwed over our teachers. Sold the 80/90 toll road to China. Just a tire fire.
I’m not sure that was that bad of a deal. That toll road was in bad shape. He sold that thing before it needed fixed. He also straightened out the BMV. Everything else was pretty bad.
 
The biggest mistake the State made with I-69 was the outfit they hired to do the work who got so far behind that INDOT had to take over.

The second biggest mistake was starting south --> north vs. north --> south. The south side of the Indy Metro just keeps growing and it's going to be a BEAR to get through that traffic, because it's already damn near impassable during the evening commute.
 
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The biggest mistake the State made with I-69 was the outfit they hired to do the work who got so far behind that INDOT had to take over.

The second biggest mistake was starting south --> north vs. north --> south. The south side of the Indy Metro just keeps growing and it's going to be a BEAR to get through that traffic, because it's already damn near impassable during the evening commute.

If they had Any forward thinkers in that outfit they would have chosen the route that started below Martinsville and swung over to I-70, finishing near the airport..., and left a perfectly good roadbed alone from Martinsville up to I-465. Had they done so they would be more than halfway finished and more importantly they would have built the first section of an outer ring version of 465 that will eventually Have to be built anyway ...

Continually funneling more traffic thru downtown Indianapolis is lunacy..., as is routing through interstate traffic thru that bottleneck... They are simply trying to push a firehose volume of water thru a heavy duty garden hose... 🙄

We are going to need another outer ring highway to handle the increased volume eventually and the smart move 💡would have been to start it Now rather than wait until its a Need...; And..., had they taken that route the traffic disruption would have been minimal...; instead we'll be dealing with this crap for years... 😡😖😞
 
The biggest mistake the State made with I-69 was the outfit they hired to do the work who got so far behind that INDOT had to take over.

The second biggest mistake was starting south --> north vs. north --> south. The south side of the Indy Metro just keeps growing and it's going to be a BEAR to get through that traffic, because it's already damn near impassable during the evening commute.
I think they should’ve started from both. You are right about that northern corridor. I wish the Ohio river bridge was done also.
 
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If they had Any forward thinkers in that outfit they would have chosen the route that started below Martinsville and swung over to I-70, finishing near the airport..., and left a perfectly good roadbed alone from Martinsville up to I-465. Had they done so they would be more than halfway finished and more importantly they would have built the first section of an outer ring version of 465 that will eventually Have to be built anyway ...

Continually funneling more traffic thru downtown Indianapolis is lunacy..., as is routing through interstate traffic thru that bottleneck... They are simply trying to push a firehose volume of water thru a heavy duty garden hose... 🙄

We are going to need another outer ring highway to handle the increased volume eventually and the smart move 💡would have been to start it Now rather than wait until its a Need...; And..., had they taken that route the traffic disruption would have been minimal...; instead we'll be dealing with this crap for years... 😡😖😞
The Bloomington bypass comes to mind too. It was out of date when they built it.
 
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The biggest mistake the State made with I-69 was the outfit they hired to do the work who got so far behind that INDOT had to take over.

The second biggest mistake was starting south --> north vs. north --> south. The south side of the Indy Metro just keeps growing and it's going to be a BEAR to get through that traffic, because it's already damn near impassable during the evening commute.
I think the south to north construction phasing was done because more complicated logistic and routing issues in the north. If they'd started in the north, it likely would have delayed all construction by a few years. I think the plan was to begin construction in south as they were still working on the planning for the northern sections
 
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I’m not sure that was that bad of a deal. That toll road was in bad shape. He sold that thing before it needed fixed. He also straightened out the BMV. Everything else was pretty bad.

The toll road deal was a short term budget fix (big money upfront) so Daniels could claim a balanced budget at the expense of a long term revenue stream. Years ago, I remember reading an article that basically said that deal was set to become a net loss of the state something like 10-15 years into the 75 year deal
 
The toll road deal was a short term budget fix (big money upfront) so Daniels could claim a balanced budget at the expense of a long term revenue stream. Years ago, I remember reading an article that basically said that deal was set to become a net loss of the state something like 10-15 years into the 75 year deal
Lots of opinions on it. My Bro in law hated him but thought that deal was a good one because the company running it was on the hook for the repair cost. Supposedly they where extensive. He’s in transportation too.
 
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The toll road deal was a short term budget fix (big money upfront) so Daniels could claim a balanced budget at the expense of a long term revenue stream. Years ago, I remember reading an article that basically said that deal was set to become a net loss of the state something like 10-15 years into the 75 year deal

So now they are having to upgrade US 20 because of all the truck traffic that won't use the interstate highway because of the tolls.
 
So now they are having to upgrade US 20 because of all the truck traffic that won't use the interstate highway because of the tolls.

iirc there is a clause in the contract that if the state improves any east west highway within X miles of the toll rd/interstate, that the state must pay a penalty fee to the contractor due to the contractor's investment in the highway being compromised by said improved competing highway becoming more competitive, thus costing the contractor tolls.

not kidding.
 
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If they had Any forward thinkers in that outfit they would have chosen the route that started below Martinsville and swung over to I-70, finishing near the airport..., and left a perfectly good roadbed alone from Martinsville up to I-465. Had they done so they would be more than halfway finished and more importantly they would have built the first section of an outer ring version of 465 that will eventually Have to be built anyway ...

Continually funneling more traffic thru downtown Indianapolis is lunacy..., as is routing through interstate traffic thru that bottleneck... They are simply trying to push a firehose volume of water thru a heavy duty garden hose... 🙄

We are going to need another outer ring highway to handle the increased volume eventually and the smart move 💡would have been to start it Now rather than wait until its a Need...; And..., had they taken that route the traffic disruption would have been minimal...; instead we'll be dealing with this crap for years... 😡😖😞
I agree that the route directly north from Martinsville to I-70 would have been much better. The only reason given for not using that route was the light pollution it would have made for the observatory. They could have moved that thing for less than the extra money they are spending on this highway. I think there was some major political pressure from the towns on the route to upgrade the current road and they caved in to that, but I don't really know.
 
iirc there is a clause in the contract that if the state improves any east west highway within X miles of the toll rd/interstate, that the state must pay a penalty fee to the contractor due to the contractor's investment in the highway being compromised by said improved competing highway becoming more competitive, thus costing the contractor tolls.

not kidding.
Wow, never heard that. Might explain why they are doing more to 20 than 120 . 120 is a open straight road and 20 is a mess but they are tearing a lot of houses down right now on a section. I havent used the toll road in yrs
 
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