Another I-69 topic

[ShawnP]

Driving thru Bloomington this week. I came up with this devious ideal. Since Bloomington is on record for not wanting I-69 and being actually viral towards it. Why not toll all the exits in the Bloomington area on the new I-69. Since Bloomington doesn't want the Interstate they shouldn't get the money from traffic of I-69. Put up signs announcing the next free exits past Bloomington and direct traffic away from them. A bit mean but Bloomington shouldn't get the extra money from I-69 when all it has done is fight and fight the extension of I-69.

[golden eagle]

Sounds like a good idea to me. I was looking at a website trying to find out why there is opposition to I-69 in the Bloomington area. To tell you the truth, your post is the first that I've heard about such opposition. While I do share some of the concerns the people have, it won't be enough stop I-69 from proceeding.

[ShawnP]

A lot of stuff out there and the Bloomington City Council and Mayor are on record against the extension. In fact I read that the town has tried to put a housing devlopment right in the way of I-69.

[golden eagle]

What is the traffic like on Indiana 37 between Bloomington and Indianapolis? Also, will the path of I-69 go through Bloomington?

[Scott5114]

I would assume it would be a bypass. Most engineers don't even attempt city-center routings in this day and age. Indeed, it would pretty much be political suicide.

[froggie]

...except in Dothan, AL, where they're actively trying to get the "Dothan I-10 connector" built through the middle of town, instead of ALDOT's plan for a bypass far to the southwest.

[tdindy88]

What is the traffic like on Indiana 37 between Bloomington and Indianapolis? Also, will the path of I-69 go through Bloomington?

Indiana 37 is a four lane expressway between the two cities, and further south all the way to Bedford. Having driven the road many times it is well traveled with 60 MPH speed limits along most of the route. The area of 37 just south of the I-465 has heavy truck traffic due to multiple truck stops and this is planned on being bypassed. About 20 miles further south is Martinsville which has six stoplights, one of of which you will stop at. After Martinsville it is smooth sailing all the way to Bloomington with classic Southern Indiana scenery. The Bloomington area has three interchanges at SR 46, SR 48, and SR 45 and a half interchange at Walnut Street on the far north side. Despite this there are still a stoplight and at-grade crossings along this route. It is south of the SR 45 interchange where I-69 is planned on being diverted on to the new terrian route. This is the part of the highway that the people in Bloomington are trying to stop, the stretch from SR 37 to the Greene County Line. As previously mentioned, the highway will not be going through Bloomington but around along the current stretch of SR 37.

[golden eagle]

Is it very hard to get around Bloomington in regards to local traffic, given that IU is there?

[tdindy88]

SR 37 traffic can get around Bloomington in about 15 minutes time, but when there is an IU football game that can congest the roads just east of the SR 37/SR 46 exit. The SR 45/46 bypass goes around the northeast side of the IU campus toward the east side but is only a two lane road. INDOT I believe is starting a project along that stretch of road to widen it that will take the next few years. During the summer traffic is typical of a community of 70,000, during the school year it can get a bit more congested, but since the city is more into bicycling there is little interest in widening a lot of the roads, and building I-69. Watching for bicyclists, even on 37 can make the trek a little more interesting.