Dubois Strong commits $10,000 to Interstate 67 Development

Dubois County – Dubois Strong has committed $10,000 to the Interstate 67 Development Corporation in support of the ongoing effort to establish an Interstate highway corridor through South-Central Indiana.

The decision to support the initiative comes after the publication of a Feasibility Study in 2012 and a recent trip by local officials and business leaders to Washington, D.C., aimed at raising awareness within Congress of the need for an improved highway corridor.

The proposed I-67 would upgrade part of U.S. 231 to interstate quality and a new, 38-mile section of road would be constructed east of the current highway to connect to I-69 in Washington. The road would run on to Owensboro before continuing on to I-65 at Bowling Green. Ultimately, the corridor could extend from Nashville, TN, to Grand Rapids, MI.

One important objective for the coalition, led by Huntingburg businessman Hank Menke, is to secure a place on INDOT’s list of High-Priority Corridors. The list is now being studied, and at the end of this year, a government-appointed blue ribbon commission will meet to prioritize each of the 19 projects. Those projects in Tier 1 will be recommended for completion within five years. Those in Tier 2 should be completed in six to eight years and Tier 3 projects should be finished in 15 to 20 years.

“We want to make sure that this project is either in Tier 1 or Tier 2,” Menke said.

Other goals for 2013 include continued grassroots outreach to local governments along the proposed corridor as well as exploration of a multi-jurisdictional Port Authority, which would bring regional governments together and provide a vehicle to cooperatively drive development to the proposed corridor.

“This project has so much potential,” said Michael Cummings, Interim President of Dubois Strong, “An Interstate highway that would connect us directly to several major markets would be transformational, to say the least.”

Dubois Strong is a non-profit public/private partnership established to promote economic development within Dubois County. Through specialized programs, targeted marketing, and tailored services, Dubois Strong supports local business growth while working to communicate the abundance of skilled labor, reliable infrastructure, and the opportunity for coast-to-coast logistics and distribution that make Dubois County advantageous for startups and relocations.