When was the last time you heard of traffic being backed up, bumper to bumper, on a major expressway leading to a racetrack? It happened Friday, when Indiana Downs opened its new permanent $200 million, 233,000 square-foot racino, Indiana Live!, and created a traffic jam on busy Interstate 74 from Indianapolis.
The racino was scheduled to open at 6:30 p.m., but general manager Jon Schuster ordered it opened half an hour earlier to accommodate the long lines waiting to get in. The racino’s 2,000 slots were quickly occupied, and the new restaurants filled, with waiting lines.
Shelbyville’s mayor, Scott Furgeson, said, “Crowd is not a word we can use tonight. It’s quite an understatement.”
The general manager for the Indiana Live! racino said the track’s temporary casino, which the new facility replaces, may be used for concerts and other events.
(With files from the HTA Daily Newsletter)