| Interstate 69 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Indiana Department of Transportation | ||||
| Length: | 159.03 mi (255.93 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1956 – present | |||
| Southern segment | ||||
| Length: | 1.73 mi (2.78 km) | |||
| South end: | I-64 / I-164 in Gibson County | |||
| North end: | SR 57 / SR 68 in Gibson Conty | |||
| Northern segment | ||||
| Length: | 157.30 mi (253.15 km) | |||
| South end: | I-465 / US 31 / US 52 / US 421 in Indianapolis | |||
| Major junctions: |
US 24 in Fort Wayne, Indiana US 30 in Fort Wayne, Indiana I-80 / I-90 near Angola, IN |
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| North end: | I-69 at Michigan state line | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Main route of the Interstate Highway System Indiana roads
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Interstate 69 (I-69) presently exists in two discontinuous segments in Indiana. The original 157.30-mile (253.15 km) highway, completed in November 1971, runs northeast from the state capital of Indianapolis, to the city of Fort Wayne, and then proceeds north to the state of Michigan (eventually reaching its capital city, Lansing and beyond). A new 1.73-mile (2.78 km) segment in Southwest Indiana, opened in September 2009, starts at the I-64/I-164 interchange in Gibson County just north of Evansville and ends at Indiana State Road 68 (SR 68) southeast of Princeton. This is the first Indiana section completed of the planned national extension of I-69 southwest from Indianapolis via Memphis, Tennessee to the international border with Mexico in Texas.
Contents |
The original stretch of I-69 in Indiana begins with an interchange at the northeast corner of I-465, the Indianapolis outer beltway, where Binford Boulevard, a four-lane divided surface arterial that formerly carried SR 37 transitions into the I-69 freeway. Southbound at this junction, most I-69 motorists take exit 0 to remain on a freeway and reach either I-465 south (with SR 37 south and the future extended I-69) or I-465 west. Running in a northeasterly direction and concurrent with SR 37, I-69 turns east-northeast at the end of that overlap just past mile marker 5 in Fishers. From there, the freeway turns more easterly at the Greenfield Road (former SR 238) interchange until it reaches the Pendleton area.
After bypassing Pendleton to the west and north, SR 9 and SR 67 join I-69, which continues to the east-northeast into the Anderson area. There, SR 9 departs, and shortly thereafter I-69 begins two long curves to the northeast, and then the north. Between Daleville and Chesterfield, SR 67 departs I-69, bound for Muncie. From the Anderson–Muncie region, I-69 continues north, running concurrently with US 35 between SR 28 east of Alexandria and SR 22 near Gas City. After passing SR 18 east of Marion, I-69 then heads more northeast, straight toward the Fort Wayne metro area.
At the south junction of I-469, located at Lafayette Center Road near the General Motors truck assembly plant, US 24 and US 33 join I-69. US 24 remains cosigned with I-69 to the interchange at Jefferson Boulevard (originally known as Upper Huntington Road), even though it takes travelers on that route several miles out of their way. US 33 continues on north to the Goshen Road interchange near Coliseum Boulevard on the northwest side of Fort Wayne, where it departs I-69, US 30 joins, and the freeway curves more to the east once again. The next junction is the US 27/SR 3 interchange at Lima Road on the north side of Fort Wayne. From the mid-1960s to 2001, US 27 was rerouted onto a concurrency with I-69 from here north to the Michigan border, but the former route has since been truncated to this point. Past the next interchange at Coldwater Road, the original routing of US 27 north of town, the freeway curves back to a northerly heading. At the north junction of I-469, US 30 departs to the east and shortly thereafter I-69 leaves the Fort Wayne metro area.
I-69 then continues north, passing just to the west of Auburn, Waterloo, and Angola, before reaching the I-80/90 Indiana East–West Toll Road near Fremont. Shortly thereafter, the route crosses into Michigan at a point just northeast of Jamestown, Indiana.
The portion of I-69 between Indianapolis and the Toll Road was first proposed in the seminal report Interregional Highways, released in January 1944. By March 1946, it was formally made part of the new National System of Interstate Highways by the U.S. Public Roads Administration. In 1958, its first extension was approved.[1] This took the route into Michigan in order to connect with I-94 near Marshall. It was extended yet again, north to Lansing in the 1960s, and then east—first to Flint and finally to the border with Canada at Port Huron, Michigan—in the 1980s. The extreme southern portion of I-69 from I-465 to central Indianapolis was never built, though unpaved ghost ramps and overpasses for its connection to I-65 and I-70 can still be seen at the North Split/Spaghetti Bowl interchange just northeast of downtown Indy.
Until recent years, all of I-69 in Indiana north of the Indianapolis metro area was four lanes, but INDOT has reconstructed and widened I-69 to six lanes through most of Fort Wayne. Likewise, INDOT has widened I-69 from I-465 on the northeast side of Indianapolis to SR 37 in Fishers from the original six lanes to seven and eight lanes during the first decade of the 2000s. A complete rebuild of most of this highly congested segment is hoped to be completed by 2015, with project plans calling for a total of 14 lanes (eight for the mainline and six in parallel collector-distributor lanes).[2]
Originally, there were seven rest areas and two weigh stations located along the original length of I-69 in Indiana. Of those, only four rest areas and one weigh station remain open as of 2011. The Pipe Creek Rest Areas serve northbound and southbound travelers in Delaware County near mile marker 50. Totally rebuilt in 2008, these areas also serve motorists on US 35, which is concurrent with I-69 along this stretch of freeway.[3][4] Near mile marker 80 in Huntington County, there were originally twin weigh stations for commercial vehicles; however, only the southbound facility is still used. The Flat Creek Rest Area serves those heading north near mile marker 89, also in Huntington County.[5] Its southbound companion a couple miles to the north in Wells County (just south of the Wells–Allen county line near mile marker 92) was permanently closed in January 2009 due to its age, cost of maintenance and operation, as well as its relative proximity to the city of Fort Wayne. Two other rest areas just north of that city in DeKalb County were also closed by 2001 for similar reasons. There the twin Cedar Creek Rest Areas once served northbound and southbound traffic near mile marker 123. In July 2011 it was reported that INDOT has begun building a new northbound facility at the site, scheduled to open in November 2012.[6] Until then, between Fort Wayne and the Michigan state line only one rest area remains open, the Pigeon Creek Welcome Center serving southbound motorists in Steuben County near mile marker 145.[7]
The original length of I-69 between Indianapolis and the Michigan state line was completed in November 1971. Since then, I-69 has been divided into a number of sections of independent utility (SIUs) dealing with an extension of the freeway to the Mexican border in Texas. The original section of I-69 in Indiana in its entirety is now part of SIU 1.
The original southern termination point of I-69 was to have been located at the northeast corner of the inner loop (now known locally as the I-65/I-70 "North Split" interchange) near 13th and College Avenue in Indianapolis. Preliminary routing of the highway from SR 38 near Pendleton to Indianapolis had it generally following the SR 67 corridor southwest, joining I-70 near German Church Road on the east side of Marion County, where the two routes would then be cosigned into the city. Later route location studies in 1961 recommended a different path, heading generally west from Pendleton to SR 37 near Fishers, then southwest past the Indianapolis outer beltway concurrent with the new location of that state route. Once well into the city, it would turn south to cross Fall Creek and meet up with the inner loop at its northeast corner. In fact, the grading and overpasses for this never-built connection's ramps can still be seen at that location.
However, in 1962 the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) ruled that it would only approve funding for I-69 to be built to the first Interstate highway connection in the Indianapolis area, which was the I-465 outer beltway near Castleton. State officials later sought to designate the proposed Northeast Freeway connecting that I-69/I-465 interchange to the North Split interchange, approximately 11 miles (18 km) in length, as Interstate 165 in order to get around the initial ruling. But after a political fight over the inner-city portions of I-70 and I-65 (part of the national freeway revolt), it was eventually decided in the late 1970s to scrap the Northeast Freeway altogether. In its place, the state was allowed to use Federal funds to widen I-70 from its original six lanes to eight and ten lanes as well as to rework its east side interchange with I-465 in order to handle the additional traffic loads from I-69 and the northeastern suburbs it serves.[8]
SIU 1 includes the entire length of I-69 in 1998, from the I-465 interchange on the northeast side of Indianapolis north to Lansing, Michigan, then east to Port Huron, Michigan. It was built in stages between 1956 and 1992, with the final gap between Charlotte, Michigan, and Lansing being closed on October 22, 1992. When the national I-69 extension project was conceived, SIU 1 was already long completed, so all future work in this segment of the "new I-69" would be limited to mainline upgrades and operational improvements.
A major project in the Fort Wayne metro area began in 2002, resulting in an additional travel lane in each direction, bridge and pavement reconstruction, and interchange reconfiguration. Plans for SIU 1 also included spot improvements and pavement rehabilitation to the I-469 loop around Fort Wayne and additional mainline and interchange improvements to I-69 northeast of Indianapolis.[2]
From Indianapolis, Interstate 69 is planned to follow the route of SR 37 south via Martinsville to Bloomington, Indiana, where a new terrain routing to the southwest will serve the Crane NSWC, Washington, and Oakland City, Indiana. The route will then intersect I-64 (where SIU 3 ends) and encompass most of existing I-164 through the Evansville, Indiana, area, crossing the Ohio River a few miles upstream of the existing US 41 bridges (SIU 4) near its confluence with the Green River.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has been highly methodical in its analysis and mitigation of the potential environmental impacts associated with the planned I-69 extension through southwest Indiana. As such INDOT has taken a two-tier approach to completing the environmental documentation required for construction to proceed. During the Tier 1 studies, 14 route alternatives were analyzed and compared against the "No-Build" option. Of these alternatives, nine were eliminated from consideration as either having too great of an impact on the natural and human environment, failing to achieve the stated goals established for the I-69 extension, or both. The five alternatives that remained were as follows:
Alternative 1 ran from US 41 to Terre Haute and along I-70 from Terre Haute to Indianapolis. This alternative was favored heavily by Terre Haute. Alternative 2 used US 41 to Vincennes and SR 67 from Vincennes to Indianapolis; it was favored by Princeton and Vincennes. Alternative 3 was one of the two mostly overland routes along SR 57 crossing cross country to SR 37 near Bloomington and using SR 37 to Indianapolis. This proposal was largely Supported by the Evansville area but significantly opposed by Bloomington. A modified version of Alternative 3 is the current path of I-69's construction.
Alternative 4 followed SR 57 to US 231 near Bloomfield and US 231 from there to Spencer. Next it went cross country to Martinsville, followed SR 37 from Martinsville to Indianapolis, or continuing north to I-70; I-70 to Indianapolis. This concept had more support from the "Hoosier Hills Area. Alternative 5 was the last studied and used SR 57 to US 50 bypass just south of Washington. Afterwards, it followed US 50 eastward through Daviess and Martin counties to SR 37 just east of Bedford and then SR 37 from Bedford to Indianapolis. This alternative was favored mainly by Bedford.
In 2003, INDOT presented the Tier 1 EIS to the Federal Highway Administration, which identified Alternative 3C (following SR 37 between Indianapolis and Bloomington, then over new terrain to US 231 north of Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center, then following SR 57 south-southwest to the I-64/I-164 interchange northeast of Evansville) as the least environmentally damaging practical alternative. Subsequently in March 2003 the FHWA issued a Record of Decision approving the Tier 1 EIS for SIU 3.
During Tier 2 studies, INDOT further divided SIU 3 into six smaller segments, allowing work on each subsegment to proceed at its own pace. On December 21, 2006, INDOT announced completion of the Tier 2 draft EIS[9] for the 13-mile (21 km) section between I-64 and SR 64 near Oakland City. Officials further noted that they will accelerate the final EIS and construction on the southernmost 2-mile (3 km) section from I-64 to SR 68 to facilitate access to the Toyota's Princeton plant.[10] On April 30, Governor Daniels signed the state's two-year $26 billion budget, which includes $119 million to fund construction of the southernmost segment of I-69, ensuring that construction began as scheduled in the summer of 2008. The Final EIS for the southernmost section was issued on October 22, 2007.
On October 3, 2006, protest groups, citing environmental concerns, along with six individuals who live along the I-69 corridor, filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging that state and federal agencies "rigged" environmental studies and violated several federal laws in the selection of a new-terrain route for I-69. They further pressed the court for a summary ruling directing the FHWA and INDOT to route I-69 over I-70 and US 41. Judge David Hamilton disagreed, and on December 10, 2007, he issued a 58-page ruling upholding the selected route for I-69 and the Tier 1 ROD. His ruling did however, leave open the possibility that the FHWA and INDOT may be forced to reconsider some or all of the previously-rejected Tier 1 alternatives if there are new significant findings during the Tier 2 studies that were absent from the Tier 1 EIS. Barring any new major findings in the Tier 2 studies, Judge Hamilton's ruling paved the way for construction to begin on the southernmost segment.
These small protest groups have sworn to do everything possible to stop its construction. Especially active is a group called Roadblock Earth First which has been responsible for a number of incidents in Oakland City and at a Haubstadt asphalt yard given the contract for the first segment. [11][12]
On February 10, 2008, INDOT and the FHWA issued the Tier 2 Draft EIS for two sections from Oakland City to Crane, totaling 55 miles (89 km). Of the changes to the original alternative, the DEIS extends the bridge over the Patoka River from 500 to 4,400 feet (150 to 1,300 m) to minimize damage to the river and adjacent wetlands. Construction on two rural interchanges would be postponed to free up $30 million for the extended bridge. INDOT released the 5,000-page Tier 2 FEIS for Section 3 from US 50 in Washington to US 231 near Crane on December 10, 2009. The ROD for Section 3 was issued in March 2010 and construction began in April 2010. The ROD for Section 2 (Oakland City to Washington) was issued in May 2010. In May 2010, Governor Daniels announced plans for I-69 to be open from I-64 to Bloomington by 2014 (Sections 1 through 4).
On December 12, 2007, the FHWA issued its ROD giving final federal approval for construction to begin on the section between I-64/I-164 and SR 64 near Oakland City.[13][14] INDOT awarded the first SIU 3 construction contract to Gohmann Asphalt and Construction Company of Sellersburg, Indiana, on February 6, 2008. This contract, completed on May 31, 2008, included the removal of buildings and vegetation from the I-69 right-of-way between I-64 and SR 68. Gohmann also won the construction contract for the first two miles (3.2 km) from I-64 to SR 68 with a $25 million bid. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony in Evansville on July 16, 2008. INDOT built this first section of the extension of I-69 using the design-build method.[15][16] Crews had completed most of the utilities relocation work and earthworks for I-69 between I-64 and SR 68 by September 6, 2008.
On September 29, 2009, the first two miles (3.2 km) of the I-69 extension opened when traffic was shifted from the short segment of SR 57 between I-64 and SR 68 to the portion of the new I-69 route mentioned above. There was some initial confusion as the shift and detour were unannounced and poorly signed initially. This resulted in numerous accidents when motorists either drove through the dead end on the old SR 57 or inadvertently ended up in opposing lanes of traffic on I-164 in the days following the I-69 opening. State troopers directed traffic through the new I-69 segment until crews could install additional signage to more clearly mark the new route.[17] The former SR 57 roadway between SR-68 and I-64 was closed off with a cul de sac and now serves as a local access road.
While the new section of I-69 continues the I-164 exit numbering (its mileage roughly coincides with that for future I-69, depending on the exact alignment of the Ohio River Bridge and its connection to I-164 in SIU 4), it is signed as I-69 and not as a northward extension of I-164.
To fund construction of this extension, Indiana Governor Daniels introduced a proposal known as "Major Moves" in early 2006. It provided $700 million from the Indiana Toll Road lease to be used to complete nearly 20 years of environmental studies and construct about half of the proposed extension (between the I-64/164 interchange and the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center). It also allowed for the construction of 117 miles (188 km) of the 142-mile (229 km) I-69 extension to Evansville to be constructed as the Southern Indiana Toll Road. Due to ongoing controversy over making this portion of the extension a toll-road, the governor announced in November 2006 that the entire stretch of the highway would be toll-free, subject to construction of the Indiana Commerce Connector (SIU 2).[18] Officials with the INDOT have since stated that I-69 will be toll-free regardless of whether or not the Indiana Commerce Connector is constructed.[19] Additionally, the U.S. Congress allocated an additional $14 million in the 2005 SAFETEA-LU authorization to construct I-69 Evansville to Indianapolis.[20][21] When SIU 3 and the Indiana portion of SIU 4 are completed, I-69 will be approximately 340 miles (547 km) in Indiana.
In April 2010, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) petitioned the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to change the designation of the I-69 extension from "Proposed Route 69" to "Interstate 69", citing that 2 miles (3.2 km) of the extension is already open to traffic, and a total of 107 miles (172 km) out of 183 miles (295 km) from the southern terminus of the original I-69 to the Ohio River near Evansville will be open by the end of 2012. Such a move would allow INDOT to erect I-69 signs on I-465 and reset reference posts (RP) and renumber exits on the original section north of Indianapolis (starting with RP 184 instead of the current RP 0).[22]
This segment will most likely incorporate the existing I-465 beltway around Indianapolis, using the east and south legs of I-465 to a point at or just west of the SR 37/Harding Street interchange on the southwest side of the Circle City. Much of this stretch of I-465 was reconstructed during the first decade of the 2000s, with additional improvements scheduled for the 2010s, totally independent of the I-69 extension project.
There's also been some speculation of a route through the heart of Indianapolis, along the Binford Boulevard (old SR 37) and Fall Creek Parkway corridors to downtown, which ironically, was the original intended alignment for I-69 within the city. However, no official route has been determined at this time.[23]
On November 9, 2006, Governor Mitch Daniels announced plans for a 75-mile (121 km) outer loop around Indianapolis to be known as the Indiana Commerce Corridor (ICC). As proposed, that route would have been 100% privately funded, with a portion of the revenues possibly applied to constructing I-69 from Indianapolis to the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC). The remaining portion of the highway to Evansville, Indiana, was already funded with funds from the Major Moves initiative.[18][24] Strong opposition from local residents and the then-Democrat-controlled House of Representatives forced Governor Daniels to abandon the ICC plan on March 24, 2007, although House Democrats assured southwest Indiana residents that this decision would not affect construction on I-69 between Indianapolis and the Crane NSWC.[25][26]
On October 24, 2007, INDOT announced a $600 million plan to reconstruct the I-69/I-465 interchange on the northeast side of Indianapolis, that includes widening about 8 miles (13 km) of I-69, I-465, and Binford Boulevard. Environmental studies and design work are currently underway, and construction on the I-69 portion of the project is expected to begin in 2012.[27]
I-69 is planned to follow the existing I-164 south from I-64 to the Ohio River near Green River Road (exit 3 on I-164). I-69 will then continue south (instead of turning west with I-164) for approximate 3 miles (4.8 km) before crossing the Ohio River on a new bridge between Evansville and Henderson, Kentucky, near the mouth of the Green River. Once in Kentucky, I-69 will continue south on a new alignment and intersect the Audubon Parkway before joining the Breathitt Parkway about 3 miles (4.8 km) further south. The Final EIS is currently being prepared for this segment of I-69, but this portion of the route has not yet been funded. Construction of the new Ohio River crossing and new roadway on the Kentucky side is expected to cost approximately $800 million. Indiana and Kentucky officials have said construction on the new Ohio River Bridge will not begin until at least 2020, after two new crossings near Louisville are completed.[28] With Indiana then preparing to break ground on SIU 3, Kentucky officials indicated that collecting tolls might be the only feasible option for completing the I-69 bridge as traditional federal and state funding for such projects were drying up. To reflect this, Kentucky Senate Majority Leader David Williams (R-Burkesville) introduced Senate Bill 7 on January 25, 2007. As drafted, that bill would have established public authorities to oversee construction, maintenance and operations, and collect tolls on four new Ohio River crossings: the two Louisville bridges (currently under construction), the I-69 bridge, and the Brent Spence Bridge that carries I-71 and I-75 from Covington to Cincinnati. Senate Bill 7 had bipartisan support in both chambers of the Kentucky Legislature and by Governor Steve Beshear. The bill also provided for state and local oversight, each having a seven-member board with four members appointed by the governor and three members from the local area.[29] Senate Bill 7 ultimate died during the 2007 legislative session, and attempts at reviving the toll authority legislation subsequently failed in 2008. In 2009, toll authority legislation was re-introduced as House Bill 3, which failed to pass during the regular session, but passed both the House and Senate during a special session in June 2009. The bi-state toll authority legislation was signed into law by Governor Steve Beshear on July 15, 2009. However, Kentucky officials indicated that no bi-state authority for the I-69 bridge will be established until the Louisville bridges are completed.
The routing for SIU 3 of I-69 in Indiana has been particularly controversial. The planned extension to Evansville has pitted cities, towns, and counties against one another. The greatest support for an extended I-69 is in Indiana's far southwestern counties and Evansville, while the greatest opposition is between Indianapolis and a vocal minority based in Bloomington. Some in Bloomington and Martinsville oppose upgrading SR 37 to I-69, while still several others welcome this improvement. This has led to Southwestern Indiana communities accusing highway opponents further north of trying to isolate this region from the rest of the state by blocking construction of a direct highway link to Indianapolis. To the west, communities along US 41 favor the presently selected alignment in lieu of the only other feasible routing: I-70 to Terre Haute, then US 41 south to Evansville. Regardless of the I-69 routing, an Interstate-quality bypass is slated to be built east of Terre Haute, which preferred the I-70/US 41 routing over the selected routing of I-69 for purely local economic reasons.
INDOT, current and past governors, and businesses and elected officials in Evansville and adjacent southwest Indiana communities, have favored a direct route via Bloomington that would be built over new terrain from Bloomington to Evansville. Supporters argued that this direct route reduces the travel time to Indianapolis as well as improves access to Bloomington for residents of southwestern Indiana, something a route via Terre Haute would not achieve. INDOT officials have also pointed out that SR 37 will eventually be upgraded from a four-lane expressway to full freeway status, with or without I-69. After extensive review of the alternative routes as well as detailed environmental studies, the state selected the new terrain route via Bloomington.
Environmentalists claimed the construction of I-69 will lead to the destruction of 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of forest and more than 300 acres (1.2 km2) of wetlands.[30] The route selected as of 2010[update] passes through the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge but on a corridor that the federal government purposely did not acquire for the refuge. This was because of an agreement with the state not to dispute the passage of a highway on this corridor.[31] Environmental groups then filed suit in federal court on October 2, 2006, to block further study and construction of the route,[32] but this lawsuit was dismissed by U.S. District Judge David F. Hamilton on December 12, 2007, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2008. Opponents had considered appealing Judge Hamilton's ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (which could have possibly sent the case to the Supreme Court of the United States), but they ultimately abandoned further legal challenges to the proposed route. Instead, opponents tried to block construction through the legislative process, when Democrats in the Indiana House of Representatives stripped funding for the I-69 extension in their version of the 2008 two-year state budget. Money for I-69 was restored after budget negotiations with the Republican-controlled Indiana Senate.
Another area of controversy arose in late 2005 when governor Mitch Daniels proposed levying tolls on the highway to finance its construction, either as a state project or a public-private partnership, in order to accelerate the project. As the route would overlay the existing SR 37 between Bloomington and Indianapolis, and there currently is no other free alternative route between Bloomington and Martinsville, this proposal has raised concerns among local residents and businesses. In March 2006, Daniels signed a bill known as "Major Moves" that leased the Indiana East–West Toll Road, but also included a compromise on constructing I-69 in southwest Indiana. As part of the deal, the legislation permitted the Governor to enter a similar public-private partnership for construction of 117 miles (188 km) of I-69 as the Southern Indiana Toll Road from Martinsville to the I-64/I-164 interchange, while the remaining 25 miles (40 km) from Martinsville to the I-465/SR 37 interchange in Indianapolis would remain toll-free. On June 20, 2006, the Indiana Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge brought on by I-69 opponents, upholding Major Moves legislation in a 4–0 decision. The toll road option was highly unpopular, even among many who supported the extension via Bloomington. As a result Governor Daniels announced in December 2006 that I-69 through southwest Indiana would be toll-free.
While Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads has continued to rally crowds of opponents to appear at public hearings,[33] other protestors have demonstrated their opposition through actions at various locations along the proposed route. These incidents have ranged from spray-painting the Indiana Statehouse in June 2005;[34] to attempted arson at the I-69 regional planning office in Bloomington in July 2005;[35] to the breaking of windows of a private pro-I-69 business in Evansville in June, 2008.[36] In the case of the Statehouse incident, two-dozen protesters were arrested on charges from disorderly conduct to assault on a police officer. In addition to incidents in Indianapolis, numerous incidents have also occurred in and around the construction site, presently located in Gibson County. Especially active has been a group called Roadblock Earth First which has been responsible for a number of incidents in Oakland City and at a Haubstadt asphalt yard given the contract for the first segment. Like in Indianapolis, most of the protesters were from out-of-state; several were from California.[11][12] In 2009, two protesters were arrested on charges of felony racketeering for standing on tables and shouting at public meetings in 2007 and 2008. A judge dismissed the federal racketeering charge in March 2010 and the defendants accepted a plea bargain for the remaining misdemeanor charges. These arrests were widely viewed among opponents of I-69 as an effort to intimidate critics, as were many SLAPP lawsuits allegedly used to silence peaceful protesters[37] but actually intended to recover losses caused by the protestors.
Exit numbers on the new southern section of I-69 are a continuation of the I-164 exit numbering.
| County | Location | Mile | Exit | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio River |
0.00 | Kentucky state line on future I-69 SIU 4 at the Ohio River Bridge | |||||
| Temporary gap | |||||||
| Warrick |
Ohio Township | 5 | SR 662 east (Covert Avenue) – Newburgh | West terminus of SR 662 | |||
| Vanderburgh |
Evansville | 7A | SR 66 east – Newburgh | ||||
| 7B | SR 66 west (Lloyd Expwy) – Evansville | ||||||
| Knight Township | 9 | SR 62 (Morgan Ave) – Evansville, Boonville | |||||
| 10 | Lynch Road | ||||||
| Scott Township | 15 | Boonville–New Harmony Road | |||||
| 18 | SR 57 south – Evansville | South end of SR 57 overlap | |||||
| Temporary south terminus of I-69 at I-64/I-164 | |||||||
| Gibson |
Johnson Township | 0.00 | 21 | I-64 – St. Louis, Louisville | Signed as exits 21A (west) and 21B (east) | ||
| 1.73 | SR 57 north / SR 68 – Petersburg, Haubstadt, Lynnville | Mandatory exit onto SR 68; north end of SR 57 overlap | |||||
| Temporary gap in I-69 | |||||||
| Marion |
Indianapolis | 0.00– 0.40 |
0 | I-465 / SR 37 south Binford Boulevard – Indianapolis |
Southbound exit and northbound entrance; south end of SR 37 overlap; Binford Boulevard (former SR 37) is the continuation beyond I-465 | ||
| 0.84 | 1 | 82nd Street – Castleton | |||||
| Marion– Hamilton |
Indianapolis– Fishers |
2.58 | 3 | 96th Street | At Marion–Hamilton county line | ||
| Hamilton |
Fishers | 4.90– 5.17 |
5 | 116th Street – Fishers SR 37 north – Noblesville |
Exit to 116th Street via collector-distributor lanes; northbound exit, southbound entrance to SR 37 via collector-distributor lanes; north end of SR 37 overlap |
||
| Fall Creek Township | 10.10 | 10 | SR 238 east / Greenfield Avenue – Noblesville, Fortville | Western terminus of SR 238[38] | |||
| Madison |
Green Township | 14.41 | 14 | SR 13 – Fortville, Lapel | |||
| Pendleton | 18.66 | 19 | SR 38 west – Pendleton, Noblesville | South end of SR 38 overlap | |||
| 22.38 | 22 | SR 9 south / SR 67 south / SR 38 east – Pendleton, Anderson | South end of SR 9/SR 67 overlap, north end of SR 38 overlap | ||||
| Anderson | 26.19 | 26 | SR 9 south / SR 109 – Anderson | North end of SR 9 overlap | |||
| Delaware |
Daleville | 33.43– 33.74 |
34 | SR 67 north – Muncie SR 32 – Anderson, Muncie |
North end of SR 67 overlap; folded diamond design using north half of the diamond interchange as partial collector-distributor lanes for SR 32[39] | ||
| Mount Pleasant Township– Harrison Township |
40.49 | 41 | SR 332 east / McGalliard Road – Frankton, Muncie | ||||
| Harrison Township | 44.71 | 45 | US 35 south / SR 28 – Muncie, Alexandria, Albany | South end of US 35 overlap | |||
| Grant |
Jefferson Township | 54.94 | 55 | SR 26 – Fairmount, Hartford City | |||
| Monroe Township | 59.06 | 59 | US 35 north / SR 22 – Gas City, Upland | North end of US 35 overlap | |||
| 64.04 | 64 | SR 18 – Marion, Montpelier | |||||
| Huntington |
Jefferson Township | 72.70 | 73 | SR 5 / SR 218 – Warren | |||
| Salamonie Township | 77.38 | 78 | SR 5 – Huntington, Warren | ||||
| Markle | 86.22 | 86 | US 224 – Huntington, Decatur | ||||
| Allen |
Lafayette Township | 96.29 | 96 | I-469 east / US 24 east / US 33 south Lafayette Center Road west – Roanoke |
Signed as exits 96A (I-469/US 24/US 33) and 96B (Lafayette Center Road); southern terminus of I-469; south end of US 24/US 33 overlap | ||
| 98.83 | 99 | Lower Huntington Road, Airport Expressway | To Ft. Wayne Int'l Airport | ||||
| Fort Wayne | 101.80 | 102 | US 24 west / Jefferson Boulevard – Huntington, Fort Wayne | North end of US 24 overlap | |||
| 105.01 | 105 | SR 14 west / Illinois Road – South Whitley | Signed as exits 105A (Illinois Road east) and 105B (SR 14/Illinois Road west), eastern terminus of SR 14 | ||||
| 108.98 | 109 | SR 930 east / Goshen Road – Fort Wayne US 30 west / US 33 north / Goshen Road – Columbia City, Elkhart |
Signed as exits 109A (SR 930) and 109B (US 30, US 33); western terminus of SR 930; northern end of US 33 overlap; southern end of US 30 overlap | ||||
| 110.64 | 111 | US 27 south / Lima Road – Fort Wayne SR 3 north / Lima Road – Kendallville |
Signed as exits 111A (US 27) and 111B (SR 3); northern terminus of US 27 and southern terminus of SR 3 | ||||
| 111.97 | 112 | Coldwater Road | Signed as exits 112A (south) and 112B (north) northbound |
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| 114.72 | 115 | I-469 / US 30 east | Northern terminus of I-469; north end of US 30 overlap | ||||
| 115.45 | 116 | SR 1 north / Dupont Rd | |||||
| DeKalb |
Keyser Township | 125.92 | 126 | CR 11-A | |||
| Auburn | 129.56 | 129 | SR 8 – Garrett, Auburn | ||||
| Grant Township– Smithfield Township |
133.91 | 134 | US 6 – Kendallville, Waterloo | ||||
| DeKalb– Steuben |
Smithfield Township– Steuben Township |
139.77 | 140 | SR 4 – Ashley, Hudson, Hamilton | At DeKalb–Steuben county line | ||
| Steuben |
Pleasant Township | 147.47 | 148 | US 20 – Lagrange, Angola | Southbound entrance ramp partially concurrent with Golden Lake Road | ||
| 149.90 | 150 | CR 200 West – Lake James, Crooked Lake | |||||
| Jamestown Township | 153.54 | 154 | SR 127 to SR 120 / SR 727 – Orland, Fremont, Angola, Pokagon State Park | ||||
| 155.47 | 156 | I-80 / I-90 / Ind. Toll Rd. – Chicago, Toledo | Double trumpet design in southeast quadrant of junction; additional ramps connect SR 120 and SR 127 with Toll Road; actual junction (I-69 under Toll Road) at milepoint 155.62[40] | ||||
| 156.50 | 157 | To SR 120 / Lake George Road – Jamestown, Fremont, Orland | |||||
| 157.30 | I-69 north | Continuation into Michigan | |||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus • Closed/Former • Incomplete access • Unopened |
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| Interstate 69 | ||
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| Previous state: Kentucky |
Indiana | Next state: Michigan |