Friday, May 21, 2026
Evansville’s Road Growth In News
Before the expressway, Division Street served as a primary east-west artery, but it struggled to keep pace with growing traffic demands. Congestion, safety concerns, and limited capacity made it increasingly clear that a new solution was needed. The Lloyd Expressway emerged from that need. It was a bold response to a city on the rise. With rapid growth on the east side in the 80s, the Lloyd would improve mobility while supporting economic growth.
As we mark the 40th anniversary of the Lloyd Expressway, we look back through the eyes of a journalist who was there to witness its construction and opening firsthand. His reflections offer a window into the hopes, challenges, and lasting impact of a roadway that continues to shape the city four decades later.
One Evansville journalist remembers
Greg Weaver, features and courts reporter for The Evansville Press from 1985 to 1986 and The Evansville Courier from 1986 to 1992.
“When I moved to Evansville in 1985, I was surprised by the divide between the westside and eastside, both physically and culturally. Construction on the Lloyd Expressway was already underway, making it even more difficult to cross town and perhaps even more perilous than the old east-to-west route of Division Street that had a railroad track running right down the center of it.
When the Lloyd opened in 1988, it began to change the face of the city, making it more modern and encouraging development that was further spurred on by the opening of Interstate 164 in 1990.
My hope is that the ease in travel hasn’t changed the quirky cultural differences. The westside’s deep German roots, massive annual street festival and penchant for hog brain sandwiches are part of what give the city its charm.”
TIMELINE: THE ROAD TO THE LLOYD
1956
West Side Expressway, the Lloyd’s western section, is completed from the Posey County line to Market Street by extending Pennsylvania Avenue.
1963
Evansville’s new technical transportation committee discusses state proposals to improve Division Street, including a new four-lane highway on either side of the existing street.
1964
The first public hearings are held on widening Division Street from U.S. 41 to Green River Road.
1969
Mayor Frank McDonald I meets with railroad officials to seek removal of tracks from the center of Division Street. New federal regulations also require cities to have an urban traffic plan in place before federal funding can be used.
1972
Construction begins on a rail bypass around Evansville.
1973
Mayor Russell Lloyd, Sr. and other local officials ride the “last” freight train down Division Street as the rail bypass opens.
1976
During a visit to Evansville, Gov. Otis Bowen says he sees the need for a new highway, but not the funding to build it.
1977
The state proposes a six-mile route with 17 stoplights. Local officials urge the state to redesign the route so the highway can be elevated.
1978
At a public hearing, residents urge the state to elevate the highway, especially east of U.S. 41. The state says that change would add $18 million to the cost.
1979
Mayor Lloyd credits Lt. Gov. Robert Orr with helping move the Division Street project forward.
Sept. 15, 1979
The Evansville Press reports that a consultant’s preferred plan for the Division Street improvement “has drawn limited endorsement from traffic planners and others in Evansville,” reflecting the continued debate over the project’s future.
1980
Momentum builds to name the proposed highway the Russell G. Lloyd Memorial Expressway, rather than the Division Street-Pennsylvania Expressway, after the former mayor is slain. The state also awards a $1.8 million contract to design the downtown portion of the highway.
1981
The state moves up the timetable, saying construction can begin in 1983, a year ahead of schedule, with completion set for 1988. Design hearings begin in Evansville, and Gov. Orr calls the road his top highway priority.
1982
The state shifts the road farther south at Green River Road to spare several businesses and adjusts the downtown alignment to preserve a rail spur for Imperial Plastics. Land acquisition begins.
July 29, 1983
Officials hold the formal groundbreaking for the new highway, and land clearing begins.
1985
The old city garage is vacated and demolition begins. Indiana legislators approve naming the highway in Lloyd’s honor with a moment of silence.
October 26, 1985
“Like many local residents, we’re happy to see construction under way, even though it creates traffic problems … the building of Lloyd Expressway, rejuvenation of the walk way and, on the East Side, the widening of Morgan Avenue and rebuilding of Burkhardt Road are all positive signs that the city is on the move.”
— Bill Jackson, editor of The Evansville Courier
1986
The first section of the new highway opens with a small segment from Fulton Avenue to First Avenue. Additional sections follow over the next two years.
1987
Another dispute follows when the state sets a 40-mph speed limit on an opened portion of the highway.
1988
The state raises the speed limit to 50 mph.
July 19, 1988
The entire Lloyd Expressway opens with a noon ribbon-cutting, about two months ahead of schedule, thanks largely to dry weather.
“This fine expressway will soon make those ordeals a faint memory. This road will become one of Evansville’s major economic links, reaching beyond the Tri-State to the rest of the nation.”
— Lt. Gov. John Mutz, as reported in the media
Dec. 5, 1988
“Even with the little quirks that have come to be associated with the Lloyd Expressway, Evansville residents say the cross-town connection is a keeper,” the Courier reports in a poll of 155 people. Respondents rate the Lloyd’s overall effectiveness as good (45%) or fair (23%).
March 2021
“While residents love to complain about traffic and construction on the famous roadway, the Lloyd is still one of River City’s most important paths.”
— Dallas Carter, Evansville Living
*Please contact Tom Spalding at tspalding@c2strategic.com if you have any corrections or additions to this timeline, which includes information sourced from Evansville newspapers.
