by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle January 6, 2026 The number of nixed road and bridge plans is rising, the Indiana Department of Transportation told state lawmakers on Monday, citing “funding constraints.” “We’ve continued to cancel projects. They’ve continued to have to be postponed,” Legislative Director Aaron Wainscott said. INDOT reported hitting the brakes…

Representatives from the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority presented a comprehensive defense of their operations to the Dubois County Council, requesting the council continue membership as the regional development authority approaches its eight-year statutory expiration in May. For background, Regional Development Authorities were authorized by statute in 2017 through Senate Bill 128, co-authored by then-State…

Members of the Property Rights Alliance and Coalition Against the Mid-States Corridor urged the Dubois County Council to withdraw from the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority, citing concerns about transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the authority’s expansive powers. Mark Nowotarski, a Dubois County resident and member of both organizations, read a letter from Brad Hochgesang (included…

As the Indiana Department of Transportation continues talks with local fiscal bodies about transferring U.S. 231 to them as the Mid-States Corridor proceeds, a local business leader is urging them to decline the offer and withdraw support for the new highway. Craig Knies, president of Knies Construction, Calcar Paving, and Cave Quarries, sent a letter…

Several Dubois County Council members voiced opposition or concern for the proposed Mid-States Corridor highway project during the regular meeting on Monday. The discussion followed resident Chris Thyen’s question about their view of the corridor during the public comment portion of the meeting. Their concerns centered primarily on the county’s ability to fund the Indiana…

Dubois County commissioners raised significant concerns about the financial burden of the proposed Midstates Corridor project during a meeting with Indiana Department of Transportation officials, questioning both the required local match and long-term maintenance costs for the existing U.S. 231. INDOT project manager Kyanna Wheeler and Lochmueller Group project manager Jason Dupont presented updates on…

Dubois County Commissioner Chad Blessinger presented questions and responses from Indiana Department of Transportation officials regarding the Midstates Corridor project during Monday’s regular meeting, highlighting significant financial obligations and local impacts that lie ahead. Blessinger told those in attendance he had been involved in several meetings over the past two weeks. “I have participated in…

The Jasper Common Council voted 5-2 to approve an interlocal agreement with Huntingburg for a joint study of the U.S. 231 corridor. Councilman Chad Lueken and Councilman Vince Helming were the two dissenting votes. The Indiana Department of Transportation has approached the cities of Jasper and Huntingburg and the county with a proposal to relinquish…

A series of public town hall events will be held from October 13th to 21st to share how the proposed Mid-States Corridor will impact our communities throughout Dubois County. Residents, civic leaders, and experts will share a brief update on road access issues, tax implications, costs, and other topics, followed by a Q&A session. The…

The Indiana Department of Transportation and the Mid-States Corridor project team announced the release of their Draft Screening of Alternatives Report, recommending two expressway options for the proposed highway project that would span approximately 23 miles and cost more than $1 billion. Alternative 2B and Alternative 3B were selected from six alternatives presented at a…

The Indiana Department of Transportation will host a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. on October 22, 2025, at Jasper Middle School, located at 3600 N. Portersville Road, Jasper, to present the Screening of the Alternatives Report for the Dubois County section of the Mid-States Corridor. A Screening of Alternatives Report is being finalized for release…

Dubois Circuit Court grants permanent injunction after landowners refused entry to Indiana Department of Transportation contractors conducting environmental assessments Dubois County Circuit Court Judge Nathan Verkamp has ordered property owners to allow the Indiana Department of Transportation access to their land for surveys related to the Mid-States Corridor Project, ending months of resistance that allegedly…

The Huntingburg City Council tabled a resolution that would authorize a cooperative study with the City of Jasper on the potential impacts of taking over portions of U.S. 231 from the Indiana Department of Transportation. Mayor Neil Elkins clarified that the resolution was not to accept the state highway but instead, for “working together with…

Hoosiers for the Corridor has launched a new website and social media accounts to educate the public about the Mid-States Corridor, a proposed 54-mile expressway that extends from I-64/US 231 to I-69 at the existing US 231 interchange. According to organizers, the purpose of the new website is to develop communication channels that provide information to…

The public is invited to attend a special Jasper Common Council meeting on August 14, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. The council has invited the Lochmueller Group to provide an update on the progress of the Tier 2 study, as well as representatives from the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority and the Property Rights Alliance to…

The Huntingburg City Council voted to table two competing resolutions regarding the Mid-States Corridor highway project after hearing comments from both supporters and opponents during Tuesday’s regular council meeting. Both resolutions are included at the end of the article. Council members cited the need for additional information and the absence of a council member as…

Judge Nathan Verkamp of the Dubois County Circuit Court is weighing a declaratory action and permanent injunction for surveyors to access properties as they conduct the Tier 2 study for the Midstate Corridor project, a proposed highway linking State Route 66 and I-69. The case revolves around the state’s authority to access private property for…

Property owner Bob Pfister made his appearance in the Dubois County Circuit Court today after evicting Lochmueller Group surveyors from his family property on Trainer Lane twice in June. Pfister read from a prepared statement regarding the generational importance of the land before being cross-examined by Deputy Attorney General Wesley Garrett. Dubois County Circuit Court…

The Dubois County Council received a resolution opposing the Mid-States Corridor Project during its meeting, as members of the Property Rights Alliance presented their case against the proposed new terrain highway through the county. The resolution is similar to the resolutions the group has presented to the county commissioners and the Huntingburg Common Council recently….

Dubois County Commissioners discussed the potential relinquishment of U.S. 231 as the Mid-States Corridor project progresses at Monday’s meeting. Indiana Department of Transportation officials have met with various local officials representing the county and cities of Jasper and Huntingburg to discuss options for them to take over the road. Dubois County would be responsible for…

The Huntingburg City Council heard from residents opposed to the Mid-States Corridor Project during their recent meeting, with members of the Coalition Against the Mid-States Corridor and the Property Rights Alliance presenting a formal resolution for consideration. The proposed resolution asks the council to officially oppose the new terrain highway project and support only improvements…

Jason McCoy, representing the Property Rights Alliance in conjunction with the Stop the Mid-States Corridor Alliance Coalition, presented a resolution to the Dubois County Commissioners opposing the Mid-States Corridor Project, citing environmental concerns and questioning economic benefits. The resolution is being proposed due to implications that the Indiana Department of Transportation and its proponents are…

Jasper Street Superintendent Jeff Theising gave a rundown of the impact of accepting U.S. 231 into the city’s inventory of streets. “It’s no secret about the relinquishment of U.S. 231. It consists of 5.91 center miles and 17.8 lane miles,” he told the council. “It’s a significant amount.” The cities of Jasper, Huntingburg and Dubois…

County Commissioners briefly discussed an Indiana Department of Transportation proposal for the cities and county to take over portions of US 231 that run through Dubois County, including sections in Huntingburg and Jasper. Commissioner Chad Blessinger told the other commissioners that the disposition of the road was discussed during a recent meeting between county officials,…

The draft Purpose and Need statement and draft preliminary alternatives for Section 2 of the Mid-States Corridor are now available on the project website (MidStatesCorridor.com). Here is a link to the Purpose and Need document. The public can also review several preliminary drafts of the route with access points below and links are available on the…

The Property Rights Alliance is a coalition of farmers, homeowners, and business owners in Dubois, Martin, and Daviess Counties who are facing the threat of losing their land to the proposed Mid-States Corridor highway project. The group will be holding a public meeting open to all concerned citizens regarding this proposed project on Thursday, December…

Martin County resident Jason McCoy recently hosted a public meeting at Loogootee High School, advocating for residents to stand against the Mid-States Corridor. In a 55-minute talk with slides displayed on a large screen in the high school auditorium, McCoy provided some background on the project to the crowd of about 250 to 300 Martin…

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 Team Members Available by Appointment The Mid-States Corridor Project Office will end regular office hours for drop-in visits at Vincennes University Jasper. Moving forward, members of the public will still be able to make appointments to meet with representatives from the Project Team. Individuals interested in scheduling an in-person or virtual meeting should email…

Federal Register Notice of Availability scheduled for next week The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) have issued a Tier 1 Combined Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD) for the Mid-States Corridor Study. The document includes changes to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) based on agency and public…

Residents have until the end of March to provide additional public input into the Mid-States Corridor Project due to variations added to the preferred route in the Loogootee area. The changes were made in response to community feedback following the announcement of Alternative P as the preferred alternative in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)…

The Mid-States Corridor is a proposed 50-mile highway roughly following U.S. 231 with cost estimates near $1 billion, built for the express purpose of boosting economic activity in Southern Indiana. Residents are concerned about the lack of representation on the board overseeing a new funding mechanism.

The Stop the Mid-State Corridor Coalition will host two workshops to assist in writing letters to the Mid-States Corridor Project office. The first one will be in Jasper this Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Hickory Rooms A & B in the Jasper Library, 100 3rd Avenue. A second workshop will be held in Loogootee on…

DEIS formal comment period runs through June 14 The Mid-States Corridor project team announced an extension of the formal comment period for the Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Originally planned to run through May 31, the comment period will extend through June 14 for a total comment period of 60 days. Comments can…

A public town hall meeting is planned for Tuesday, May 10, 2022, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the St. John’s Center, 408 Church St., Loogootee. All residents and businesses in Martin, Daviess, Dubois and surrounding counties who are concerned about the effect of the proposed highway. The meeting will be hosted by Mayor Noel…

DEIS formal comment period runs through May 31 Jasper — The Mid-States Corridor Project Team will hold public hearings this week near Crane and in Jasper to present information about the Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Preferred Alternative. Each will include a public comment period: Tuesday, April 26, at the Westgate Academy (Crane),…

There will be another Town Hall Meeting by the Coalition Against the Mid-States Corridor on April 21, 2022, at the Mitchell Emerson School Gym from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The group will provide updated details regarding the Route P announcement as well as discuss the importance of attending the two public hearings on the 26th…

Members of the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA) informed the Huntingburg Common Council an announcement on the preferred route of the proposed multi-lane highway through the county should be coming in April. RDA chair Mark Schroeder and the RDA’s legal counsel, Bill Kaiser, attended the council meeting to give an update on the Tier…

The Coalition Against the Mid-States Corridor project will hold a public meeting on Tuesday,January 11, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. EST at the Vincennes University Jasper Campus Innovation, Technology and Manufacturing Building in the Technology Auditorium. Per VUJC policy, face masks are required. Organizers will be sharing an update on the project, facts on why…

The Mid-States Corridor project office has a new home on the Vincennes University Jasper Campus and normal project office hours have resumed. The project office is now located in the Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing (CTIM), room 202. The office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET and by…

Residents attending the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA) meeting last Friday voiced frustrations over the perceived lack of communication from the contractor charged with determining the path forward on the Mid-States Corridor. The corridor is a proposed improved highway through Dubois County designed to connect the improved U.S. 231 in Spencer County to Interstate…

Dubois Strong conducted a study in partnership with Hunden Strategic Partners, Inc. (HSP) analyzing the impact the Mid-States Corridor Project will have on Dubois and Spencer Counties.  The Mid-States Corridor is a planned four-lane interstate grade road connecting the improved portion of U.S. 231 in Spencer County to Interstate 69 north of Dubois County. According…

The Mid-States Corridor Project Team issued a statement regarding the upgraded timeline for the Tier I study. Lochmueller Group expects to identify a preferred corridor for the improved highway connection in southern Indiana later this year. The corridor will be identified in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which is expected to be published this…

A Stop the MidStates Corridor rally is planned for this Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Jasper Courthouse Square. Event organizers have invited Gov. Eric Holcomb as well as the two candidates opposing him in this year’s election, Dr. Woody Myers (Democrat) and Donald Rainwater (Liberterian). Dr. Myers will be attending…

The “Stop the MidStates Corridor Group of Dubois County” will hold a rally to opposing the project on Saturday. The rally will be at the Dubois County Courthouse from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, August 1, 2020. The Indiana Forest Alliance has joined with the local group to help their grass-roots efforts to stop the…

Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide and Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner issued a joint message regarding the proposed Mid-States Corridor: As your local elected officials, we strive each day to make our citizens proud of the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Both of our cities have their place in Indiana’s history —…

The Mid-States Corridor project team is making it easy for residents to find out more information about the project and share their feedback. Project handouts and questionnaires are available at several public libraries in the area, including the libraries in Dubois, Ferdinand, Huntingburg, Jasper, Dale, Otwell, French Lick and Loogootee. The project materials are available…

The Tier One study of the Mid-States Corridor is underway and the public will learn more about the potential route through the county in February. Monday evening, German American Bank CEO and president Mark Schroeder, who serves as the president of the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA), gave the Dubois County Council an update…

A series of public meetings is planned as the Indiana Department of Transportation begins the Tier 1 Environmental Impact study of the proposed Midstates Corridor. Public meetings will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this week.  Public involvement is a key part of the environmental study process. The first of several public meetings are…

U.S. Senator Mike Braun spoke at the Dubois Strong Annual Meeting last Thursday. Speaking without notes, Braun touched on several issues he’s found while starting his freshman term as a senator. The largest being the need for more bipartisanship to get things done. Braun explained the two parties will have to come together around two…

The Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced they have selected the Lochmueller Group of Evansville as the consultant for completion of a Tier 1 Study for the Mid-States Corridor Project. This selection is the culmination of an intensive two-step selection process jointly conducted by the RDA and…

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced the agency finalized a partnership agreement with the recently-formed Midstates Regional Development Authority (RDA) to review the concept of a highway in rural southwest Indiana. The agreement permits INDOT and the Mid-States RDA to move forward together on a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Midstates Corridor….

The Huntingburg Common Council approved contributing $350,000 to the Tier One study being conducted by the Midstate Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA). The funds will come from the city’s economic development income taxes and will be paid in 2020 and 2021. According to Mayor Denny Spinner, the agreement allows the city to replenish the EDIT…

The Midstate Corridor is the most recent rendition of a proposed highway-grade connection running through Dubois County from Interstate 64 to Interstate 69. Some history In 2011, a local group of businesses, individuals and public officials began meeting to figure out a way to pick up the torch on the improved highway plans for the…

While Dubois County Council members each had some reservation on contributing $1.75 million to a study for a new highway through the county, they all accepted the fact that their support was needed to even consider making the project come to fruition. “We’re taking a bit of a chance,” Council President Jerry Hunefeld said. “This…

The Jasper Common Council approved funding up to $1.4 million over three years for the Tier I environmental study of the Midstate Corridor. The Midstate Corridor is a proposed interstate-grade highway connecting the improved portion of U.S. 231 ending at the southern border of Dubois County with I-69. The dedication of funding from the City…

Radius Indiana announced today its support for the Midstate Corridor, which is planned as an interstate-level route connecting U.S. Highway 231 in southern Dubois County to a point along I-69 in the north. Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington….

A new bill designed to foster regional infrastructure development puts more tools into local efforts to create the Midstate Corridor through Dubois County. Authored by Representative Mike Braun and Senator Mark Messmer, both of Jasper, Senate Enrolled Act 128 allows Indiana counties or municipalities participating in a Regional Development Authority (RDA) to create a fund specifically…

A bill passed by the Indiana House of Representatives today is designed to provide a pathway to funding for regional infrastructure improvements including highway or bridge repairs, rail lines, airports, commuter transportation and other critical road improvements. Senate Bill 128 sponsored by State Rep. Mike Braun (R-Jasper) and State Sen. Mark Messmer’s (R-Jasper) allows Indiana…

If legislators turn their eyes on Indiana’s infrastructure funding problem during their next session, the MidState Corridor could get a needed boost. Hank Menke, president and CEO of OFS Brands and president of the I-67 Development Corporation, hosted an update on the MidState Corridor at OFS Brands headquarters Monday afternoon. Menke was joined by State…

The news about the success of projects in Huntingburg is adding up. Mayor Denny Spinner and department heads reported several major projects moving were forward or were completed during the Thursday night council meeting. Spinner reported he had received an email from Pete Schwiegeraht of Miller Valentine Group on Wednesday with the best news of…

Huntingburg — City and County representatives met with Audrey Schmitt, project manager with Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), on Monday this week to begin the planning process for the railroad overpass in Huntingburg. The next step in the process is to file requests for proposals (RFP). INDOT will review the proposals and choose the top three consultants…

Jasper — Mike Braun, a lifelong resident of Jasper, Indiana, announced his candidacy for House District 63 on Monday. State Rep. Mark Messmer currently holds the seat for District 63 but recently announced he would be pursuing the District 48 seat  in the Indiana Senate in 2014. Braun is the owner and President of Meyer Distributing company in…