I-69 Currently drives continuous throughout Michigan & Indiana. In Kentucky it turns into a US Hwy. Then back into I69. The initial idea was I69 to drive from Port Huron, MI (by Canada) all the way to somewhere in Texas at the Mexican border. Some of the intended routes for I69 are already there. Just the US or State highways need to meet certain standards for it to be designated as an Interstate. So they got to tear parts down & reconstruct it. Or build entirely new roads at certain places.
It's going to cost Indiana and Kentucky a wad of money. From what I've seen, the existing US 41 businesses would be cut off if it became a freeway, and the bridges are functionally obsolete. They plan to bypass Evansville, using existing 69 and 41 as a business route. Once fully open between Michigan and Texas, traffic will increase exponentially. You don't want that on existing 41.
Between Indianapolis and Memphis will be over 400 miles of unpopulated rural areas to become a major corridor of traffic with the expansion of the interstate 69 and new bridge being built in Henderson.
@@bigloaded8324 Yes, doesn’t make any sense to build that new bridge in Henderson . Still going to be faster taking Interstates 55, 57 and 70 from Memphis to Indianapolis. Plus the twin bridges in Henderson has only 40,000 crossings each day. Population in Henderson and Evansville combined is 200,000. I drive I 69 and I 64 every day for my job and there is hardly any traffic out there. You’re correct, huge project for very little population.
It would make more sense to provide bicycle lanes on the current US 41 bridge, as the new bridge will not have any nearby surface roads for bicycles to access on the Kentucky side
If you have ever driven these roads, you wonder who posted the road signs. They are nothing short of overly confusing. Sorry for anyone out of state that has never travelled across the WKP and then trys to drive US 41 south.
I-69 is intended to be a Canada to Mexico Interstate. US 41 will serve more local vehicles and I-69 will assist with through traffic. Really, just makes sense to build it. Plus it will add jobs and add to the tax base. So all in all....great to see this project finally getting off the ground!
