Portion of Hoosier Heartland opens

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - After decades of planning, a portion of the Hoosier Heartland in Carroll County opened Wednesday and drivers said they can't wait to get behind the wheel on the new road.

"I think it's really exciting and just a really nice, smooth easy way to get from here to Lafayette," Delphi resident
Mary Vansickle said.

"I think we are so fortunate to be able to leave Delphi, get up there on that Hoosier Heartland and go to Lafayette," Delphi resident Shirley Goyer said.

Nearly 30 years in the making and $330 million later, the drive between Lafayette and Delphi just got a whole lot easier.

"We've been looking for that road to come that way for a long, long, long, long time. It's going to be very good for business," West Lafayette resident Susan Linson said.

Wednesday morning, Governor Mitch Daniels and other federal, state and local officials and members of the Hoosier Heartland Corridor held a ribbon cutting ceremony on the 12-mile stretch of the new State Road 25 between Interstate 65 in Lafayette and U.S. 421 in Delphi.

"This was always one of the major moves," Daniels said. "In my mind, it's at the very top. What it means first in terms of safety, but secondly in terms of more economic opportunity and jobs in the future."

"Especially here in Delphi it gives us an opportunity to open our gates to Interstate 65, economic development, safer travels for our citizens going to Lafayette," Delphi Mayor Randy Strasser said.

Residents said by steering clear of the old State Road 25, besides speeding up their drive between Lafayette and Delphi, safety is key with the new Hoosier Heartland highway.

"I never drive 25 because there have been so many accidents," Goyer said.

"I've seen too many accidents so it will be nice to have a road that's going to take the danger out of it," Lafayette resident Scott Whitley said.

"An acquaintance of mine lost a child, lost his only child out there several years ago and this one clearly will be more safe and I'm just so blessed to see it finally come to pass," Linson said.

The last three portions spanning from Delphi to Logansport should be open to traffic at the end of 2013.

When completed central Indiana will have direct access to deep water shipping ports in Toledo, Ohio.