S. Indiana leaders say area must seize I-69 prospects

HUNTINGBURG, Ind. (AP) - Several southern Indiana officials say the area needs to seize the economic opportunities that the opening of the Interstate 69 extension will present.

The first main section of the new I-69 route is scheduled to open Monday with drivers allowed to use a 67-mile stretch from the Evansville area to near the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center.

The Herald-Times reports Lt. Gov.-elect Sue Ellspermann told a business and government leaders in Huntingburg on Monday that the I-69 construction is the "opportunity of a lifetime" for the region. She says leaders need to act to stem its "brain drain" of young adults.

Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke tells WFIE-TV that the highway opening can bring transformational change to the entire region.