By JENNIFER WHITSON

Evansville Courier & Press Indianapolis bureau

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The crowd was larger and rowdier than at Monday's meeting, but the message was the same: Build Interstate 69 via Terre Haute.

Roughly 500 people showed up for a public hearing on the I-69 draft environmental impact statement Tuesday evening in Bloomington. The study was released at the end of July and selected five of 12 potential I-69 corridors, not including the Terre Haute route, as "preferred."

Security was beefed up for Tuesday's hearings and Monroe County sheriff deputies searched the bags of all people entering, not allowing anyone with a sign to enter.

"Tonight, no one's getting in with a sign," said Lyle R. Sadler, an Indiana Department of Transportation project manager. Deputies stopped five people with signs and made them leave the signs outside the auditorium.

Six elected public officials who spoke first at the hearing were evenly split about whether to build along U.S.41/I-70 or a "new terrain" route.

Nathan Hadley, Bloomington's director of economic development, spoke for Mayor John Fernandez, who was a no-show at the hearing.

"This may be our last, best opportunity to make (I-69) happen," Hadley said as he spoke in favor of a more direct route.

But the crowd heckled Hadley and one speaker later criticized Fernandez for not attending.

Mark Stoops, a Monroe County councilman, said I-69 would be a drain on highway funding and cause other counties' roads to fall into disrepair. Stoops attempted to keep speaking after his two-minute time limit expired, staying at the podium to argue with the hearing moderator.

Residents who got up to speak had a more uniform message. Only two of the first 20 resident speakers supported an I-69 route running near Bloomington and most simply said an interstate through their region wasn't needed.

Kirk White, vice president of community relations for Indiana University, was one of the later speakers. He spoke in favor of a route that would come close to Bloomington. He said it would be good for the university.

After he left the podium, five people surrounded him, heckling him and blocking his exit. The crowd cheered.

Two deputies then helped White exit the building and accompanied him to his car.

One of the opponents of a new-terrain route was Carrie Reynolds, concerned about the highway's effect on rural areas.

"People have lived there for a very long time," said Reynolds about areas affected by "new terrain" routes. "If you want to live in the city, there is Indianapolis. There is Evansville."

Many speakers questioned not only the studies' goals, but also the merits of having a trans-national interstate connecting Canada and Mexico.

"The people who will benefit are the companies who have moved their factories out of the United States," said Carol Bruce of Bloomington.

Others disputed the Department of Transportation's "core goals" against which they ranked the 12 potential routes. The goals took into consideration environmental impact and cost, but weighted more heavily on three core goals: economic development, travel time savings and improving international freight movement.

"The core goals that INDOT has established are not our core goals," said Richard Martin of Bloomington.

A few speakers came because the proposed routes would run through their property.

"It's really hard to respect you guys when you want to put a road through my house," said Carrie Lawrence, who lives just south of Bloomington.

"It's very hard to watch Gov. O'Bannon remodeling his house on TV when I see what's coming down the road," said Alexander Scott, whose house is in path of the highest ranked route.

And others made it clear that if the state goes forward with any route other than the U.S.41/I-70 corridor, they will be there to block it.

"If I have to, I intend to sit down in front of an earthmover, and I invite you all to come," said Mary Brennan-Miller.

One speaker who said he worked at Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center said he wanted I-69 built close by. "Locating I-69 close to Crane would be a significant asset in increasing our military value," said David Schulte.

In the hallways before the hearing, local chamber of commerce representatives said they supported "new terrain" routes, but that they were not going to speak at the hearing.

"When people try to marginalize you down in Evansville, we need to remember that this is a regional effort," said Paul Tedesco, the director of transportation issues for the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. "There are a lot of other people walking with you on this journey (to get I-69 built)."

Steve Howard, the president of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, said the Indiana Department of Transportation had heard what he had to say before and that it was time to give other people a chance to speak.

"They know what I'm going to say," Howard said. "I've been saying for 11 years now that we need to build this highway."

© 2001 The E.W. Scripps Co.