Commissioners asked to disavow support of Mid-States Corridor
Jason McCoy, representing the Property Rights Alliance in conjunction with the Stop the Mid-States Corridor Alliance Coalition, presented a resolution to the Dubois County Commissioners opposing the Mid-States Corridor Project, citing environmental concerns and questioning economic benefits.
The resolution is being proposed due to implications that the Indiana Department of Transportation and its proponents are in the process of requesting or plan to request additional funding from local taxing units for the project.
During his presentation, McCoy, a Martin County resident, read off the resolution, highlighting five previous studies that he said determined building a new terrain highway through Dubois County is not economically or environmentally feasible. It also noted Governor Holcomb’s 2021 announcement of $475 million in infrastructure projects, including $75 million for improvements to US 231 through Dubois and Martin counties.
“Whereas in April 2022, after the release of the Tier 1 DEIs, INDOT and the Lockmueller Group held a public comment meeting with hundreds of residents in attendance who were opposed,” McCoy read from the resolution. “Over 95% of the verbal comments opposed and received more than 1000 written comments opposed to the Mid-States Corridor Project.”
The resolution cites concerns, including the displacement of over 100 homeowners, the loss of 1,800 acres of farmland, the cutting down of 870 acres of forest, and the impact on over 60 acres of wetlands. It also mentions significant losses to the tax base and agricultural income.
McCoy urged commissioners to consider the resolution carefully, suggesting that project proponents are pressuring local politicians.
“I’ve got bricks to lay. I’ve got grass to mow on my farm and hay to cut. I don’t want to be here. I don’t have time for this,” McCoy, who operates a bricklaying business, said. “But it has to be here. The building of this road is not germane to the best interest of your constituents, and you guys have a role to play in that.”
Commissioner Chad Blessinger responded by clarifying the county’s limited involvement in the project thus far. “We put money into that initial study…because this has been an important project to some people for a long time,” he explained.
Blessinger said the council and commissioners at the time found merit in supporting the study.
“Since that time, we as a county haven’t supported it financially, haven’t supported it in any other way,” he said.
Blessinger emphasized that while commissioners don’t make the final decision on whether the road is built, they do have input on access roads and minimizing the project’s impact if it proceeds.
“Our job is to make sure we take care of the economic part of the county…the general welfare and safety of the people,” Blessinger said. “That’s how I look at our role.”
Commissioner Nick Hostetter stated his support for the road and study as “an investment in the future of Dubois County,” while expressing sympathy for those who might lose property. “If our studies come back and show this road will support us for the next 100 years or beyond, I can’t oppose that,” he said.
Commissioner Serice Stenftenagel expressed concerns about industry needs while acknowledging the impact on farmland. “It’s the industry, it’s the growth that I’m concerned about,” she said. “I’m not persuaded one way or another. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m against it or for it.”
McCoy responded directly to Hostetter’s comment about studies. “One of the linchpins, in my opinion, is that the study in itself has been corrupted,” he said.
He asserted that Lochmuelher Group was hired to ensure their findings supported the completion of the road. The Mid-State Regional Development Authority, funded by private and public funds collected in 2017-18, paid for the Tier 1 DEIS Study completed by Lochmueller, which ultimately chose the path of the corridor through the county.
Several residents spoke during public comments, raising concerns about the project’s impact on agriculture, quality of life, and county finances.
Dave Ring, a sixth-generation farmer and former agriculture teacher at Southridge, highlighted the importance of agriculture to the county. “6,500 people in our county work in direct production agriculture,” he notes. “We are number one in dollar sales of ag products.”
Teresa Kendall shared cautionary tales from other Indiana cities that built bypasses. “All these places have problems from when they expanded the road,” she warned, citing examples from Kokomo, Lafayette, Anderson, Evansville, and Terre Haute.
Bob Pfister asks commissioners to consider the broader implications. “We’re going to alter the makeup of our county forever,” he said. “I don’t think the average county resident understands how many dead ends there’s going to be and how it’s going to alter their way of life.”
Vickie Roundtree spoke on behalf of her parents, whose 160-acre family farm would be diagonally cut by the proposed corridor. She explained that her father, Leroy Kerstiens, has worked his whole life to pull together his family’s land with his wife’s to create a family legacy.
“It’s some of the best crop ground there is,” she explained. “It’s not just land, it’s investment. Anyone that knows a farmer knows that the land isn’t just a warehouse. It is their left arm. You can’t hand us a check and we go by 160 acres within a five mile radius of that some quality.”
“We can’t rebuild this warehouse,” she added.
Colton Pippinger, executive director for Dubois Strong, offers a different perspective, supporting the project as necessary for economic development. “Dubois county faces a critical need for north-south connectivity,” he read from a prepared statement. “The economy here is thriving, but we’re burdened by that outdated transportation network that threatens our ability to grow, attract talent and retain businesses.”
Pippinger cites a report projecting the project would inject $300 million annually into Spencer and Dubois counties combined, create 7,000 ongoing job opportunities, and generate $4.33 million per year in local tax revenue.
Before reading the statement, a member of the audience asked Pipinger if he lived in Dubois County, to which he stated he did live in Huntingburg.
No official action was taken by the commissioners.
Here is the resolution and Pipinger’s prepared statement.
RESOLUTION of the Board of Commissioners of Dubois County, Indiana
WHEREAS, since the 1980’s, five different studies prior to the current Lochmueller Study have determined building a new-terrain highway and/or bypass through Dubois County, including the Donohue Study, Rust Study, Earth Tech Study, Cambridge Study and I-67 Study were not economically and/or environmentally feasible.
WHEREAS, in June 2021, Governor Holcomb announced $475M in infrastructure projects that included $75M to make major improvements to existing US 231 through Dubois and Martin counties.
WHEREAS, in April 2022, after the release of the Tier 1 DEIS, INDOT held public comment meetings with hundreds of residents in attendance opposed, over 95% of the verbal comments opposed, and received more than 1,000 written comments opposed to the Mid-States Corridor project. Some of the reasons provided included the displacement of over 100 homeowners, over 1,800 acres of farmland taken, 870 acres of forest cut down, over 60+acres of wetlands, the negative impact on the environment and natural habitat, significant losses to the tax base, a loss of agriculture income over $1million annually, and the lack of true proven benefits at a cost of well over $1 billion at 2020 costs.
WHEREAS, due to the process of establishing an appointed Regional Development Authority (RDA) and not giving the residents, environmental, and other groups a voice in the initial start of this project or allowed to vote, over 10,000 signatures were gathered and submitted petitioning their opposition to the Mid-States Corridor project.
WHEREAS, opposition to this proposed project continues to grow publicly as noted by the Facebook group “STOP THE MID-STATES CORRIDOR PROJECT” with over 5,400 followers, a reach of almost 50,000 and an engagement of over 28,000. Residents have displayed over 500 “STOP THE MID-STATES CORRIDOR” yard signs, hundreds have attended several town hall and other meetings in opposition, numerous letters to the editor, and media interviews both locally and regionally.
WHEREAS, proponents of the proposed Mid-States Corridor continue to falsely promote the economic development opportunity and growth without out any factual data to back-up their projections and assumptions.
WHEREAS, in our opinion the existing road network along with improvements on the existing US 231 will adequately connect the region and avoid massive destruction of our rural landscape and communities; that the State funds can be better spent maintaining and repairing existing roads; and that taxpayers, county, and societal costs of the proposed far outweigh any potential local benefits. These reasons, and others, in our judgement indicate a lack of need for this project.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of Commissioners of Dubois County, Indiana hereby opposes and will no longer support the continuation of the Mid-States Corridor new-terrain highway project and any other alternative other than the previously identified improvements for the existing US 231. Furthermore, the Board of Commissioners will not grant powers of eminent domain, or otherwise land acquisition to the unconstitutional Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority. Nor will we authorize any additional tax dollars to this project.
Adopted this ____ day of June, 2025
___________________________ ____________________________ __________________________Chad Blessinger, President Nick Hostetter Serice Stenftenagel
Dubois Strong Economic Development Corporation statement
Dubois County faces a critical need for enhanced North/South roadway connectivity to provide a direct transportation link between Interstate 64 and Interstate 69. Our economy is thriving, yet we are burdened by an outdated transportation network that threatens our ability to grow, attract talent, and retain businesses. The need for a modern North/South roadway connecting Interstate 64 and Interstate 69 is not just a convenience—it is an economic necessity.
US Highway 231 has struggled under increasing traffic demands, failing to support the businesses and residents who drive our success. Large tractor-trailers clog our streets, slowing commerce and making daily commutes more difficult. Meanwhile, companies committed to our region’s prosperity are forced to consider relocating, scaling back, or disinvesting because our infrastructure no longer meets the needs of a competitive, 21st-century economy.
The numbers tell a clear story: Dubois County ranks in the top third of Indiana’s GDP contributors, yet it is the most populous county in the state without a major four-lane highway. We are punching above our weight, competing with larger counties, proving time and time again that innovation, determination, and hard work fuel our success. But how much longer can we do so when businesses struggle with inefficient logistics and talent looking elsewhere for opportunities?
According to Hunden Strategic Partners, the Mid-States Corridor project would inject $300 million annually into Dubois and Spencer counties, create 7,000 ongoing job opportunities, and generate $4.33 million per year in local tax revenue. These figures aren’t just projections, they paint a picture for economic resilience, business expansion, and long-term stability.
A 2022 article from the Journal of Infrastructure examined data in the United States from 1980 to 2016 and found that infrastructure, specifically noting the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, spurs economic growth by saying:
“This result suggests that infrastructure investment spurs economic growth because it reduces the cost of doing business, reduces transaction costs, increases the marginal product of labor, and increases economic efficiency …infrastructure spending had a positive and persistent impact on economic growth.”
We also must work to minimize the impact to our residents along the route of the new highway by realizing the effects on individual citizens; striking a balance between the greater good that a new road will bring to the vast majority of those who live, work, and visit our community. Patoka Lake, for example, was not an easy decision to make. While it was a difficult decision, it has proven its value over time to our quality of life and our local economy.
Dubois County has four highly rated public-school systems, a college campus, industry partners, opportunities for employment, low crime, housing, and quality of life amenities that people travel to experience. But without access to modern transportation, our future is uncertain. The Mid-States Corridor isn’t just an infrastructure project, it’s a lifeline for economic stability, workforce attraction, and sustained prosperity.
Now is the time to act. Now is the time to invest in Dubois County’s future.
Colten Pipenger
Executive Director, Dubois Strong Economic Development Corporation
