Seymour opening southern bypass this afternoon

A more than six year long project to better connect the Seymour airport area to the east side of the city and Interstate 65 will be finished when the city officially opens the final leg of the southern Burkhart Boulevard Bypass this afternoon.

According to the city, the bypass was needed due to heavy congestion through downtown Seymour, leading to long traffic delays and slow emergency response times through the city. The bypass connects the industrial park on the east side of the city with the industrial park on the west side, near Freeman Field.

The bypass includes a bridge over the Louisville and Indiana Railroad tracks and several roundabouts to better funnel traffic. The project has been in the works since 2017 when the first public meetings were held outlining the plan. The last leg between South O’Brien Street to Airport Road has been the most recent under construction starting in April 2022.

The total project cost is estimated at just over $30 million.