WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:06 — 41.4MB)
This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, October 19th, 2021.
Later in the program, we have a Few Minutes with the Mayor – a weekly segment where we pose questions to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton on community issues. Assistant News Director Noelle Herhusky-Schneider has more in the bottom half of tonight’s program.
Also coming up in the next half hour, The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that Interstate 69 in Martinsville should reopen by the end of the year. WFHB News interviewed project spokesperson Natalie Garrett about what motorists can expect in the coming months.
And now, your daily headlines:
Road Report: I-69 to Open in Martinsville by the End of 2021
About nine months ago, a five-mile section of State Road 37 in Martinsville closed to the public in order to upgrade to interstate status.
However, motorists can expect the Martinsville portion of the I-69 Finish Line project to open soon, says spokesperson Natalie Garrett.
“I-69 through Martinsville is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2021,” said Garrett.
The I-69 Finish Line project stretches from Martinsville to Indianapolis, and it will include more than 26 miles of new interstate highway and dozens of new or replaced bridges.
Garrett explained the project at large and how the Martinsville portion fits into the broader construction.
“It’s the sixth and final section of I-69 between Evansville and Indianapolis in the state of Indiana,” she said. “The actual finish line portion begins in Martinsville and ends in Indianapolis, they will connect with the south side of 465.”
She also touched on some major changes motorists can expect to see once the interstate opens.
“Access to the highway and future interstate will be different than it was prior to the closure. Access points will be limited to the entrance and exit ramps along what is currently State Road 37, future I-69,” said Garrett.
As we move into the fall and inch closer to the winter months, construction becomes dependent on weather conditions.
However, Garrett maintains that road construction remains steady. She says crews are on schedule for the expected unveiling of the interstate by the end of the year.
“Construction is continuing on schedule along the corridor. As I said earlier, paving is one of the main operations going on at least in the Martinsville area,” she said.
Looking ahead, Garrett says that construction crews will continue to work on the highway even after the road opens to the public.
“Work will continue in the Martinsville area through mid 2022. Just because end of the year hits, that doesn’t mean our contractor is going to pack up and leave the Martinsville area,” said Garrett.
For more information on project updates and frequently asked questions, you can visit i69finishline.com.
Feature Report:
Up next, we have a Few Minutes with the Mayor – a weekly segment where we pose questions to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton on community issues.
Assistant News Director Noelle Herhusky-Schneider talked to the mayor about the 2022 city budget and the actions taken by the city for people experiencing homelessness in the winter.
All that and more in today’s edition of A Few Minutes with the Mayor.
In case you might have missed yesterday’s local news, we talked to social work students who protested the City of Bloomington’s National Conference on Police Social Work at the Monroe Convention Center. We revisit that report from WFHB’s Kade Young and Abe Shapiro.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Abe Shapiro and Kade Young, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Noelle Herhusky Schneider.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
Anchors are Benedict Jones and Tod Wicks.
