The state of Indiana is taking control of building a long-delayed section of the Interstate 69 extension from a private developer under a deal approved by the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA).
The Associated Press reports that the IFA says its board voted on June 29 to endorse a deal for state agencies to oversee I-69 construction between Bloomington and Martinsville.
Work on the 21-mile section has stalled amid financial troubles for privately run I-69 Development Partners and contractor Isolux Corsan since construction started in 2014 with an October 2016 completion deadline. The company was to build and maintain the highway for 35 years under its state contract.
IFA says the state will take full control of the project this summer and borrow the money to finish the work. Completion is projected by August 2018.
In an earlier statement, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) commissioner Joe McGuiness said: “INDOT’s first task is to ensure a smooth transition of project teams.”
“As we work through those initial changes, construction work that is currently underway will continue,” he said. ” More important, there will be no lapse in the safety and mobility operations that keep traffic moving and the work zone safe.”
Currently more than 30 subcontractors are working on the roadway and that will continue under the INDOT’s leadership, INDOT said in its statement.
