County Commissioners discuss waiting to take over U.S. 231
Dubois County Commissioners discussed the potential relinquishment of U.S. 231 as the Mid-States Corridor project progresses at Monday’s meeting.
Indiana Department of Transportation officials have met with various local officials representing the county and cities of Jasper and Huntingburg to discuss options for them to take over the road. Dubois County would be responsible for approximately 10.4 miles of U.S. 231, while Huntingburg would receive 3.38 miles and Jasper would take on 5.91 miles.
Concerns regarding the cost of maintenance and the added burden on Jasper’s and Huntingburg’s budgets have also been discussed in recent meetings.
At Monday’s Dubois County Commissioner meeting, the commissioners indicated they prefer to wait until the new road is complete before assuming maintenance responsibilities.
“I have no interest in taking the road over until such time that the other road is open,” said Commissioner Chad Blessinger, citing concerns about maintenance costs and uncertain timelines. “There’s no certainty of how long it’ll take, what condition that road would be in.”
The discussion follows a meeting between county representatives and the state highway department to continue conversations about relinquishment possibilities and address local concerns.
Two primary options emerge from the discussions. The first involves waiting until the Mid-States Corridor is finished and open before the county assumes responsibility for the existing highway.
The second option would have the county assume maintenance responsibilities earlier, with the state providing compensation in the form of a payment. Under this scenario, the county would maintain the road, which would technically remain a state highway until the new route opens.
Blessinger said that the longer they waited to take it over, the less the state would pay them to do so.
Commissioners Nick Hostetter and Serice Stenftenagel both express concern about potential financial burdens if they accept early relinquishment, particularly if the timeline for completing the new road extends longer than anticipated.
“Maybe that’s two, three years and it’s five,” Hostetter said, highlighting the uncertainty in construction timelines.
Commissioners also raised concerns about the current condition of the highway, suggesting that if relinquishment does occur, the road should be properly maintained beforehand.
“I also have an ask of the state not to give us a poorly maintained road. Not that we immediately get it and it needs pavement and it hasn’t been maintained, and we got a big cost on our hands,” Hostetter said.
Hostetter mentioned a previous road transfer involving 3rd Avenue in Jasper as a potential model, noting, “If I remember correctly, they repaved it prior to signing it over to the city and county,” he said.
This approach would allow the county to “start at square one” with a newly paved road rather than inheriting deferred maintenance issues.
The board discusses how negotiations might proceed, with Blessinger suggesting the state might offer a choice between receiving payment without repairs or having the road fixed without additional compensation.
After weighing the options, board members reached a consensus that they preferred to wait until the new road is complete before accepting relinquishment.
“I am more risk-averse and I wait till the end,” Blessinger said, with the others agreeing with this cautious approach.
The board concluded that it will communicate this preference to state officials while remaining open to considering significant offers that may arise.
“When they ask in the future, I’ll say the board’s feeling as of today is we are not interested in relinquishment,” Blessinger summarized. “If they came in with some big offer or something, then we would discuss that.”
