MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — (WTHR) — The final section of I-69 connecting Martinsville to Indianapolis is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. The first new overpass in that project opened June 15 in Martinsville. The Grand Valley Boulevard overpass near Martinsville High School connects the downtown on the west side of IN-37 to the retail and expansion on the east side.
The Grand Valley Boulevard overpass is the first of 39 bridges to be built for section six that connects I-69 through Morgan, Johnson and Marion counties to I-465.
"Hallelujah! It's been a long time coming," said Martinsville Mayor Kenny Costin.
The overpass is 327 feet long and connects downtown Martinsville to the east side restaurants and retail, which were cut off and isolated during construction.
"There's a couple that have closed down,” said Chris Mullin, general manager of the Texas Corral restaurant at the east end of the overpass. “A lot of us have just weathered the storm, cut hours back, cut employees back a little bit. Things are picking up now."
This overpass not only gives motorists an easier connection across what eventually becomes I-69, but there's also a sidewalk on both sides for much safer crossing for foot traffic.
"It’s an enormous asset for us to be able to get people over into the Grand Valley,” said Costin. “It's a beautiful bridge. There was a group that went through and helped design it, people from Martinsville that put a lot of thought into it.”
The overpass becomes more critical when IN-37 closes early in 2021 for most of the year to expedite the conversion to an interstate.
"It will be an important east-west connector for those there in Martinsville both currently, and then of course, going into next year, when a section of State Road 37 is temporarily closed there in Martinsville for interstate construction,” said Natalie Garrett with the Indiana Department of Transportation.
"We like it. It expedites getting over to that side of town,” said Martinsville resident Ann Elsner.