INDOT initiating Tier 2 environmental study on Mid-States Corridor

RFP is next step in fine-tuning first section of new roadway

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is moving forward with the next round of environmental studies on the Mid-States Corridor Project. 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and INDOT issued a Tier 1 Combined Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD) for the Mid-States Corridor Project in September. They are now prepared to advertise a request for proposals seeking a consulting firm to conduct the Tier 2 environmental study on a portion of the future highway. That advertisement is expected to be sent out by November 14.

The Tier 1 preferred alternative begins at State Road 66 near the William H. Natcher Bridge that crosses the Ohio River at Rockport, Ind., continues through the Huntingburg and Jasper area and extends north to connect to Interstate 69. The preferred alternative corridor was divided into five Sections of Independent Utility (SIU).

The first Tier 2 study will focus on SIU 2, which runs from Interstate 64 to State Road 56 at Haysville.

During the Tier 2 study, designers will narrow their focus and create multiple alternatives (alignments) within the chosen Tier 1 corridor. A comparison of costs, impacts and benefits of each alternative will be used to select the final footprint for SIU 2. Agencies, stakeholders, and the public will have the opportunity to provide input as part of the process.

INDOT anticipates the selection of a consulting engineering firm by early 2024 and the commencement of the Tier 2 study in Spring 2024.

More information about the Mid-States Corridor Project is available here.