Letter: The Mid-States Corridor reflects Dubois County’s growth and compliance with federal highway standards
When you turn 18, some would say you have come of age. You have grown up and more is required of you as an adult. The law allows you to legally by cigarettes. When you turn 21, you’re legally allowed to buy alcohol. This is because you have grown to becoming an adult and now you have become of age. The same can be said for towns and their highway system.
Jasper and Huntingburg have come of age and the Federal Law says their roads need to come in compliance with New Federal Highway standards. U.S. 231 is a Federal Highway and it comes under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government in cooperation with the State. U. S. Federal Highway Regulations require that when traffic gets to such a level that the highway must be brought up to Federal Highway Requirements. U.S. 231 through the City of Jasper and the City of Huntingburg requires an 8′ shoulder on both sides of the street. Based upon the number of vehicles traveling on the highway each day, it might require four lanes plus two shoulders.
Shoulders serve as a safety feature on U.S. Highways. Shoulders provide space for emergency storage of disabled vehicles. Shoulders provide space for law enforcement activities. Shoulders provide space for maintenance activities. Shoulders provide an area for drivers to maneuver to avoid crashes. Shoulders improve bicycle accommodation. For all highways, except Interstates, cyclists are legally allowed to ride on the travel lanes. Shoulders increase safety by providing a stable, clear recovery area for drivers who have left the travel lane. These shoulders, on U.S. Federal Highways, with significant traffic may be required on both sides of the road.
Such is the case for the heavily traveled U.S. 231 through Jasper and Huntingburg. You can experience this when you leave Huntingburg at Dairy Queen. The 8′ shoulders are on each side of the road from there to Ruxer Ford in Jasper, where they end. There are a couple of exceptions. The two bridges along that route need to be brought up to code as well. The width of the road at the intersection by Wings and Rings is 58′ wide. The width of the roads in Huntingburg and Jasper are 46′ wide. Based upon current traffic with shoulders the road could possible be 76′ wide.
So what happens if you bring U.S. 231 through Huntingburg and Jasper up to the required U.S. Federal Highway standards? First you would have to purchase all of the land on both sides of the highway to allow for the addition of an 8′ shoulder on each side. Based upon the traffic volume you may need to add an additional 10′ lane on both sides of the road. You would then have to tear down all the buildings and structures on both sides of the highway and remove the debris. You would then have to destroy the water and sewage lines that run in conjunction with those highways. You would have to dismantle the electrical systems along the highway. This would cause major sewage and electrical problems along U.S. 231. Tearing up the sewage and powerlines most likely will affect both cities sewage and electrical grid systems, causing massive power outages and sewage issues. You would then rebuild and replace those sewage and electrical infrastructures just as the highway was being completed. That’s if you can afford to have all that infrastructure torn down and replaced at a reasonable cost.
The reason we are getting a bypass is that it is much cheaper to buy land than to buy land with a house on it. You also don’t have to put a sewage system in and even electricity would be greatly reduced or not even needed.
Daryl Hensley, Jasper
Says the guy whose home isn’t threatened by the MSC.
Oh and btw, you have to be 21 to buy cigarettes now…
Jay, what is your solution for getting a 50’-70’ wide Federally Required Highway up Newton Street, without tearing down every structure, sewage and electrical system?
Daryl Hensley
Finally some good information for those who continue, out of fear I might add, to read and absorb instead of lashing out at the supporters of the project. As a Jasper citizen, it has become increasingly dangerous on our local highways. Let alone for those who you see working alongside them such as cable/phone workers, highway maintenance workers, etc.
We also have some of the more dangerous roads just to travel on. There are so many hills and curves that a person could get hurt or killed just by driving to or from Jasper to do their grocery shopping or bill paying.
It also makes sense for our local businesses too. Everyone has benefitted from the increase of employment in the area over the years. Even those who are retired have benefitted, maybe without realizing it through real estate values which have risen greatly, especially over the last 5 years. Additionally, what about those who come to work in our local businesses? Many are from out of Jasper or Huntingburg and have to drive these roads in the early morning hours or late at night. They take undue risks every day. Again, maybe people don’t realize the situation we are in, dare I say many don’t like the growth we’ve had as it means, at least to some, that there are too many “outsiders” moving here. Many wish that the area was a backwater area that nobody knew about. Sorry, but that’s not current Jasper or Huntingburg.
I feel the bypass will be advantageous to all of us whether some refuse to see that or not.
Daryl is right. We may not want this roadway, but we need it. Maybe not today, but in the VERY near future. We have already put his off for 20 years. It’s time to face the truth. Building roads takes land. Always has. Things don’t change here very often. We have conditioned ourselves to that norm and now any change in Dubois County is about as popular as a soup sandwich. But this has to be done. We cannot run from it any longer. The communities here are growing and the highway system is inadequate. There is only one solution. And it is as clear as day.
Of all the people to write a love letter to government regulation…
Haha exactly .
And everyone who says it needs to be done , is like I’ve said, not losing their homes or land.
I’m so glad the federal government knows what is best for the community, their current track record makes me believe this is true.
When this road is built I can’t wait for all these businesses to increase their workers wages since there is so much benefit to this project, surely surely the big wigs won’t keep all this extra cash to themselves at the expense of the community.
Also how do we expect to keep these new roads intact when we can barely manage the ones we have?
Maybe other towns should invest in their communities and create jobs there instead of everyone having to work in one area thus causing all this ruckus.