BLOOMINGTON — Monroe County has planned to extend Fullerton Pike across a floodplain for decades. The plans are now a reality, and Bloomington has a new connection to Interstate 69.
The Fullerton Pike extension opened on Friday after two years of construction on its bridge. The span is 525 feet long, which makes it the longest bridge in Monroe County.
"Sometimes you step back and it seems unreal that you can build something as big as this," said Dwight Cline, who managed the Fullerton Pike construction for Milestone Contractors. "Knowing how much easier it was going to be to get around town, it did put a little pressure on me."
Fullerton Pike is already popular with travelers at the Bloomington/Monroe County line.
"It took them long enough, but it's nice," said Richard McMurray, who rides his recumbent bicycle over the new bridge. "I'm probably going to use this two to three times a week."
Cline said it took a lot of work to connect the bridge without disturbing the floodplain underneath. He said each end of the bridge has 12 feet of dirt and materials underneath it to make sure it is level.
"I had a little kid on a field trip ask me if we were going to unbalance the earth moving this much dirt here and putting it here," Cline said.
While the road is convenient for commutes, Cline said it is even more important for emergencies.
"I talked to the fire department this past weekend," Cline said. "They said it would probably save some houses because they could get to certain places a little bit quicker."
Although Fullerton Pike is open, construction crews will continue to work on the road throughout the fall.
