Dubois County MidState Corridor recommended for completion in next 8 years

Conexus Indiana, a state-funded logistics and industrial think-tank, announced the MidState Corridor would be recommended as a priority project for the state to complete.

The MidState Corridor is a planned interstate-grade highway through the county to connect the improved portion of US 231 to Interstate 69 near Washington. The group working on this project began about three years ago with OFS Brands CEO/President Hank Menke and other regional business leaders leading the charge.

Conexus recommended the corridor be a Tier 1 project for the state with a recommended completion date within seven years of funding. Among other identified Tier 1 projects were the reconstruction and repair of the Olmsted Lock in southern Posey County as well as the Henderson/Evansville Bridge and the completion of I-69.

The priority rating is a higher rating than a Blue Ribbon Panel commissioned to study the state’s logistics needs gave the project earlier this year.

The proposed corridor is designed to create a highway connecting four states — Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.

“It is imperative that we keep pushing,” Menke said today. “Funding is going to be a big issue but we are studying different ways to get this thing done and continue to meet with the head of INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) and the governor to keep pushing.”

The highway is seen as a need to continue Dubois County’s industrial and business growth.

According to David Holt, Vice President of Operations and Business Development for Conexus, 2017 has been identified as the Transportation Legislative Session by the state’s lawmakers. They are expected to begin to tackle budgeting for the identified projects then.

If lawmakers were to shift about a billion dollars in annual fuel sales taxes from the general fund back to roads, estimates would then put the project starting within seven years of that funding session.

This story will be updated.