The Indiana Department of Transportation wants to build section six of I-69 along existing State Road 37.
The recommendation comes after the agency received nearly 1,000 comments on five proposed routes.
The recommended route for I-69 section six will run through Martinsville, along State Road 37.
INDOT says that path will save 11 minutes of driving time to downtown Indianapolis. The route is also expected to cause the largest reduction in crashes among the five options INDOT considered.
But Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson says public input also played a large role in the decision.
“There was overwhelming support for 37,” Hendrickson says. “You can just look at a map and see it makes sense even if you’re not an engineer.”
INDOT estimates the route will mean the relocation of 279 homes and nearly 100 businesses.
Martinsville Mayor Shannon Kohl says the city is working on an economic development plan that takes advantage of I-69.
“If we plan accordingly, progress is at our doorstep,” Kohl says. “So I believe this will be a great thing for Martinsville.”
INDOT still has to secure funding for construction, which will start no earlier than 2020.
