Letter: What is the true reason for the Mid-States Corridor?

What really is the purpose of the Mid-States Corridor? Hank Menke, from the beginning in 2011, has stated it’s purpose is to facilitate the flow of freight and trucking. Mr. Menke’s original concept was of an interstate, I-67, to connect Nashville, TN to Michigan. In March of 2014 Mr. Menke realized that there were major obstacles to his envisioned interstate, and to use his words, “You eat an elephant one bite at a time. This is a smaller bite of the bigger project. You got to take it in steps.” So, Mr. Menke changed the name from I-67 to the Mid-States Corridor. He abandoned the idea of highway going Northwest to Washington and changed it’s direction to due North to Crane, which also increased it’s length.

This was a stroke of genius by him and the “Blue Ribbon Panel”. In 2014 Mike Braun, was keeping a low profile regarding the highway to Michigan. A few years later Mike Braun, Mark Messmer, Shane Lindauer and others, who were all now part of the Indiana General Assembly, led a successful effort to get Indiana laws changed to facilitate using private and public funding for highway projects. They changed the way RDA were to be financed; and, by doing so have been able to thwart the will of their constituents.

Over the past 14 years the Menke-Braun Cabal has been able to publicly obfuscate what the Mid-States Corridor is and what it’s primary intended use is. Long gone, but not forgotten, is the desire to have a North-South “interstate” between the Indiana-Illinois state line and Indianapolis to move freight. I’m sure if they could have their way they would ban all non-commercial traffic from “their” highway.

At the recent mandatory public meeting by INDOT and the Lochmueller Group the real purpose of the Mid-States Corridor was made public by INDOT’s  Kyanna Wheeler, Major Project Delivery Project Manager, when she stated the purpose of the Corridor was the movement and flow of freight. She said nothing about economic development, safety or congestion. It’s a fool’s errand to think Ms. Wheeler doesn’t know the truth.

It’s not a matter of saving time to get to Indianapolis, it’s about saving taxpayers money. Both INDOT and the State of Indiana are having budgetary issues. We cannot tax our way out of these shortfall; but, we can demand our elected officials be more fiscally responsible. They can start this trend of fiscal responsibility by canceling the Mid-States Corridor.

Jim Arvin
Rutherford Township
Martin County