Namesake and Purpose
The highway is named for former Indiana governor Frank O'Bannon, who died after suffering a stroke in 2003 with 16 months remaining in his second and final term. O'Bannon, a Corydon Democrat, who was first elected to the Indiana General Assembly as a State Senator in 1970, had long supported an improved highway linking to Interstate 64 (I-64). This position greatly endeared him to his constituents, who had long dealt with narrow, winding and somewhat dangerous two-lane highways connecting them to the rest of the state.
The SR 37/145 Association, which is made up of community and government leaders from Perry, Crawford, Orange and Lawrence counties, considered O'Bannon a strong ally in getting better and faster access to I-64 for their communities. Following his death, the association lobbied the state of Indiana to name the highway in his memory.
Read more about this topic: Frank O'Bannon Highway
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