WYRZ.org 98.9 WYRZ – The Voice of Hendricks County
INDIANAPOLIS (March 29, 2016) – The Indiana Department of Transportation today announced that the route following State Road 37 between Martinsville and Indianapolis best meets the I-69 performance measures while minimizing cost and impacts to the human and natural environment. INDOT Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson joined Indiana Economic Development Corporation president Jim Schellinger, Martinsville Mayor Shannon Kohl, Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers and Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar to make the announcement.
“Building I-69 from Martinsville to Indianapolis using State Road 37 is the logical choice,” Commissioner Hendrickson said. “This route offers the strongest opportunities for economic growth, most significant safety improvements, and greatest reduction in congestion of all route alternatives evaluated. After years of study and input from thousands of Hoosiers, INDOT has determined that the State Road 37 option produces the best return on investment for Indiana taxpayers.”
The recommendation follows careful consideration of public input voiced during public meetings in the spring and fall of 2015 and months of detailed analysis performed for five preliminary routes. The analysis found that State Road 37:
- Avoids an estimated 1,379 crashes each year,
- Reduces travel times from Martinsville to downtown Indianapolis by 11 minutes,
- Reduces travel times from Martinsville to I-69 in northeast Indianapolis by 13 minutes,
- Increases wages in the four-county study area by a total of $1.7 billion over 20 years, and
- Increases gross domestic product in the four-county study area by $2.4 billion over 20 years.
INDOT anticipates making a final recommendation for public input in 2017 with proposed locations for highway lanes, exits and access roads.
Public meetings
INDOT will host public meetings Monday, April 4, at Perry Meridian High School and Tuesday, April 5, at Martinsville High School to collect additional public input on the route recommendation. Perry Meridian High School is located at 401 W. Meridian School Rd. in Indianapolis and Martinsville High School is located at 1360 E. Gray St. in Martinsville.
Doors will open for both meetings at 6 p.m. with an open house session in the school gymnasium. Attendees may ask questions and view displays regarding the route recommendation and potential locations of exits and access roads. Each open house will be followed with a formal presentation and public-comment session in the school auditorium at 7 p.m.
With advance notice, special accommodations will be made for individuals needing auxiliary aids or services of interpreters, signers, readers, or large print. Anyone with such needs should contact Rickie Clark with INDOT’s Office of Public Involvement at 317-232-6601 or rclark@indot.in.gov.
Submit comments
INDOT today released a screening report detailing its analysis of the five preliminary alternative routes. The report includes a summary of public comments and three variations of Alternative C, which follows the existing State Road 37. It may be downloaded at http://www.in.gov/indot/projects/i69/2343.htm.
The public is invited to review the screening report and submit public input at any time using a web form at www.in.gov/indot/projects/i69/2463.htm or by contacting the I-69 Section 6 Project Office directly at section6pm@indot.in.gov or 317-881-6408. The I-69 Section 6 project team is requesting comments for this phase of the project by April 29, 2016.
The public may also visit the I-69 Section 6 project office located just west of State Road 37 at 7847 Waverly Road, Martinsville, IN 46151. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is closed on state holidays.
