Beacon Parkway opens in Mishawaka

The new toll road interchange in Mishawaka opened Thursday. Beacon Parkway connects Capital Avenue to Fir Road.

The road is surrounded by over 250 acres of open land, and Mayor Dave Wood is hoping businesses build new campuses there. 

“Mishawaka is not only a place where people come to raise a family but it's a place where people come to shop, to dine, to work and to seek healthcare,” Wood said.

Phil Newbold, the CEO of Beacon Health Systems, is opening a new outpatient campus along Beacon Parkway

“This is going to open up a convenient, easy, accessible campus to tens of thousands of people,” Newbold said. 

With the new road, drivers can go straight from the toll booth into Mishawaka, instead of going around it. 

“This is really our first impression into the city. Before, you'd get of the Mishawaka interchange and you didn't really enter into the city of Mishawaka. This now brings you into the city of Mishawaka,” Wood said.

The blank slate was what drew Newbold in. 

“You're always thinking ahead. What are the facilities? What's the access going to be like? What are the kinds of amenities and conveniences you need to do? And you can do that on a blank sheet of paper as opposed to trying to retrofit into an existing facility.” Newbold said.