Ongoing I-69 Construction Slowing Business In Bloomington Area

Businesses along State Road 37 in Bloomington are counting down the days until the state finishes converting the road into Section 5 of I-69.  As Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Barbara Brosher reports, owners say ongoing construction is confusing customers and slowing down sales.

It used to be pretty easy to get to Thompson Furniture on State Road 37 South. You just turned off the highway onto a frontage road. But, that’s changed as the state continues to convert the roadway into I-69.

Owner Mark Thompson says people coming from Bloomington now have to be willing to go out of their way to get here.

“Now they’ve shut us down here, and you’re taking a four mile detour up, then turning around and taking a four mile trip back.”

Thompson says it means business is slower than normal.

Indiana Department of Transportation Public Affairs Manager Andy Dietrick says there are several signs along the road to help drivers navigate to businesses.

“I think we’re getting people where they need to go.  Now, it doesn’t always happen on the first time and sometimes we have to move them around and change the location of the signage.”

Dietrick says the state is on track to finish construction between Bloomington and Martinsville by the end of August.