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Last updated on Wednesday, January 25, 2017
(BLOOMINGTON) - Isolux Development Partners told Bloomington officials on Tuesday that substantial completion of Section 5 of I-69 would not be possible before August 2018.
Negotiations between Isolux and its subcontractors were described as ongoing and needing to be finalized before a firm date of completion could then be formally negotiated with the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana Finance Authority.
City officials learned about the potential delay at a meeting Tuesday.
"I continue to be exceedingly frustrated with the opaque nature of this process. A major delay being disclosed in a small meeting is not how government should opera," Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton says. "Just yesterday (Monday) two more people were injured in a construction zone crash. None of the partners in this project will take responsibility for the ongoing problem that this project has become for the thousands of people who rely on this transportation corridor every day."
But IFA spokeswoman Stephanie McFarland says October 2017 is still the official project completion date for Section 5. She says any information about a completion date, if one would be necessary, would come from the finance authority, which manages the contract.
Mayor Hamilton says there will be some "hard decisions ahead."
Hoosier residents and travelers are dealing with avoidable delays, inconvenience and safety risks," Mayor Hamilton says. "I will be requesting a meeting with Governor Holcomb to express my concern and ask for transparent collaboration and a real plan for completion."
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