Police in southwest Indiana have shifted their patrols from existing highways to a new stretch of Interstate 69.
Officers say traffic in the region has moved from old routes to the first section of the Interstate 69 extension that opened Nov. 19. The road is slated to eventually run from Evansville to Indianapolis.
Gibson County Sheriff George Ballard tells the Evansville Courier & Press that when he traveled Indiana 57 last week, the road was almost deserted.
Authorities in the region say they've had no problems staffing patrols of the new I-69 section that runs from Gibson County to near the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center southwest of Bloomington.
The Evansville state police post is scheduled to add two new troopers next year.
