Business leaders see opportunities with I-69 Crane-Bloomington section open

Bradford is a regional CEO for Old National Bank. He's based in Bloomington, but Old National Bank headquarters are in Evansville, so he has to make the trip south about once a month. Before Sections 1, 2 and 3 opened in 2012, that meant nearly three hours in the car one way. Depending on the time of his meeting, it might also mean staying overnight.

Bradford said he got a text from a colleague who thinks he can make the drive in an hour and 15 minutes now. That colleague lives in Evansville but works in Bloomington and stays here during the week.

"He's the happiest guy in Bloomington," Bradford said.

Most companies won't see such an immediate impact from the highway, but economic development officials expect more business people to travel back and forth to Evansville now that the first four sections of I-69 are open.

"It will give companies here an opportunity to branch out," said Greg Wathen, president and CEO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. "It was easy to go south, east and west. Now, the highway will help with going north."

Wathen is making sure businesses know that. He said the economic development coalition sent announcements to a list of site selectors the day Section 4 opened.

"It's one of those things we constantly remind people about," he said.

The strategy seems to be working. Wathen said the economic development coalition has received a growing number of inquiries from logistics companies considering opening major distribution centers in the area.

A gap in the interstate still remains between Bloomington and Indianapolis, but Wathen said businesses in the state's capital are talking about opening offices in Evansville.