I-69 - Evansville to Indianapolis

The new I-69 between Evansville and Indianapolis is a key component to the future economic vitality of southwestern Indiana, and will connect an entire region with improved access to jobs, education and healthcare.

In the 1970s, a group of visionaries began dreaming of a "Southwest Indiana Highway" connecting Evansville to Bloomington. In 1991, Congress proposed a "New National Highway System" and the dream took root as part of a new I-69 corridor. Designated as one of six Corridors of the Future, I-69 will ultimately extend from Mexico to Canada, making it a primary north-south artery for the movement of goods and services in the US.

In late 1999, a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Study (EIS) was initiated for the Evansville to Indianapolis portion of I-69. This EIS looked at a wide range of possible highway corridors to link Evansville and Indianapolis. In December of 2003, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for I-69 was issued recommending Alternative 3C as the preferred corridor for I-69. The Federal Highway Administration selected Alternative 3C for I-69 in its Record of Decision (ROD) dated March 24, 2004. The FEIS and ROD divided the 142-mile corridor into six sections, paving the way for the initiation of Tier 2 studies for I-69.

The Tier 2 Environmental Studies have been completed for all sections of I-69 from Evansville to Indianapolis.  Thanks to the commitment of governors Mitch Daniels, Mike Pence and Eric Holcomb, I-69 has rapidly moved through construction. Sections 1 through 5 from Evansville to Martinsville are now open to traffic. Some offline work on Section 6 will begin in 2019, with the bulk of mainline construction beginning in 2021.  Section 6 is scheduled to be completed by 2024, creating that much anticipated corridor of free flow traffic from Evansville to Indianapolis.

At the peak of construction in 2012, I-69 was the longest contiguous new terrain interstate construction project in the U.S., putting Indiana in an enviable position to attract new jobs in a competitive global marketplace.