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 ride

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