Letter: Mid-States Corridor key to continued prosperity
Dubois County and our communities of Southwest Indiana have long contributed to the prosperity and progress of our Hoosier State and beyond. For generations, our families and communities have experienced a unique quality of life anchored by a strong work ethic of our people. A growing economy which has weathered the tough times and continues to provide good-paying jobs. An excellent education and training system has provided a skilled and talented workforce which produces products of unparalleled quality, shipped to markets worldwide. Our quality of life and the future prosperity for our families and region will continue to be secured
so long as we keep our eyes focused on the horizon.
A key element of assuring that future horizon of prosperity and economic growth is the long-discussed Mid-States Corridor transportation project which is now in a public evaluation process led by the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The Corridor would begin at State Road 66 near the William H. Natcher Bridge, crossing the Ohio River at Rockport, continue through the Huntingburg and Jasper area and extend north to connect to Interstate 69. There are several routes being studied and it is believed a final route will be selected in the fall of 2020.
It is clear this project will strengthen our county’s competitive position as an economic driver and will secure the economic future of our region for another generation. Dubois County is within a day’s drive of half of the US markets and 80% of the total US population. Our annual per capita income at $56,488 ranks third in the state. While the economic impact will vary depending on the chosen route, one study has estimated a potential of significant growth in employment, wages, taxes and housing, with a total GDP output of counties in the target area of approximately $7.7 billion.
Just as improved roads are important to our economic growth, they will also make travel safer for all of us. Equal importance is the need to improve regional traffic safety and reduce serious crashes, both fatal and
those resulting in serious injury, in Southern Indiana.
As members of the Mid-States Corridor Next Level Coalition, a group of citizens, community leaders, elected officials, school officials and business leaders, Dubois Strong endorses the need for this significant transportation connection to all of Indiana and our national and worldwide markets on which we are so dependent for our local economy. The Mid-States Corridor will also connect our historic legacy of prosperity to a future of continued job growth to meet the needs of our families and maintain our quality of life. We encourage you to visit https://midstatescorridor.com/ to view updated information and understand all the facts.
We as a County and Southwestern Indiana as a region have earned a reputation of achievement and prosperity for our communities for 202 years of Indiana’s 204 years of existence. Dubois County’s legacy of growth, ingenuity, vision for the future and plain-old Hoosier hard work have always been the foundation of our quality of life.
Ed Cole
President
Dubois Strong
Well, I agree with you on one thing…. people should get the facts. The fact is the thing will never pay for itself. It is an absolute waste. So when a project such as this makes no real fiscal sense people start to play the safety card. “Its for safety”. So this is classic…. when you play the safety card, people will not put a price tag on that. So predictable.
So I have often wondered…..what is sacred these days? What would be considered to important not to pave over for convenience sake? Would it be a cemetery, place of religious worship, senior living facility, National Forest Land, 5th generation farm ??
Why should people now have to pay for the mismanagement that has occurred over the years? It’s a joke. There are several alternatives that were glossed over and cast aside because they do not feed the industrial machine.
Joe Keusch – 5th generation farmer – Huntingburg
The Mid-States Corridor is an urban problem that is trying to be solved in a rural area. The State and other groups that have an interest in this road need to speak directly to the folks that will loose their property, their homes, to understand how they feel about this road changing their lives and livelihood. There are many cities in Indiana that have solved difficult road issues where the lack of will to take property or the lack of space limited their options. The central Indiana towns of Kokomo and Carmel both found unique ways to create a by-pass or as in Carmel a through-way to accommodate the heavy non-residence friendly truck traffic without infringing on the surrounding rural towns and farms, and these solutions would be worth taking the time to look at, to see if it can be applied to the Mid States Corridor.
This is a lot of money to spend on something that has this much disagreement. I urge the business interests and the State to take a deep breath, slow down and think of alternate solutions to resolve this problem for the sake of those that have invested in farms and land in rural Davies, Dubois, Martin and Pike counties.
It’s funny saying it’ll “strengthen our county’s competitive position”. That’s pretty funny considering our County had incredibly low unemployment and all area businesses seemed to be doing just fine. Seems like our county was doing just fine without a “Mid State Corridor”.
Agree with Joe Keusch above. Any time they bring the “Safety” card out, look out. They don’t mention costs, more people means more crime, etc.
I’ve never seen something so unpopular get so much traction. Really proves that money talks. This is to benefit the “select few” businesses in Dubois County, and we are to pay for it.