I-69 stretch in Martinsville now open
A new section of Interstate 69 opened on Monday following a ribbon cutting ceremony in Martinsville. The five-mile section of northbound lanes between State Road 39 and Morgan Street had been closed for construction since last January, allowing crews to work faster and safer, eliminating an entire year of work on the project.
Southbound lanes are expected to open in Martinsville later this week. Also opening to free-flow traffic are new lanes up to Banta Road, just south of State Road 144 near the Johnson County line, marking completion of 17 miles of new highway in 2021.
The sixth and final section of I-69 between Evansville and Indianapolis, known at I-69 Finish Line, is on track to open by the end of 2024, extending the interstate to I-465. Construction began in Martinsville in 2019 and included local access roads, as well as Finish Line’s first overpass at Grand Valley Boulevard that opened in June 2020. Efforts turned to the I-69 mainline in early 2021, adding new pavement and bridges, as well as interchanges at State Road 39, Ohio Street, and a combined interchange at State Roads 252 and 44.
Construction activities will continue in the Martinsville area through mid-2022. Mainline work will pick-up in Johnson and Marion Counties next spring.
Mayor Hamilton appoints new Communications Director
Mayor John Hamilton announced the appointment of Andrew Krebbs to the position of Communications Director for the City of Bloomington. Krebbs will begin his new role on December 25th and will earn an annual salary of $71,966. As Communications Director, Krebbs will develop and implement the City’s overall communications and branding strategy, and activities. Krebbs has served as Bloomington’s Digital Brand Manager, since July 2019.
Krebbs brings 16 years of relevant experience, formerly serving as Arts Communications Director for the City of Burlington, Vermont and Director of Marketing for the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Alabama. During his tenure with the City of Bloomington, Krebbs has been instrumental in helping the City of Bloomington during the COVID-19 pandemic. He assisted in implementing new technologies to conduct city business remotely and continues to create communications to provide critical up-to-date information to residents.
Krebbs will succeed Yaël Ksander, who is resigning from the position as of December 24th, after having served the City since early 2018.
Temporary Covid testing site opens in Bloomington
The City of Bloomington has announced the opening of a Covid-19 Testing & Vaccination Clinic: Monday, December 20-Wednesday, December 22 from noon to 8pm at Switchyard Park Pavilion (1601 South Rogers Street).
This Week in Hoosier History
1917 – A full-page newspaper ad said, “Travel the Electric Way, There’s a train your way any hour of the day.” The Union Traction Company provided convenient times every day to many cities around the state. Indiana could boast that it had the second-largest interurban system in the country.
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