Midstate Corridor updates and explanations
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 area after the state shifted funds to Interstate 69. This became apparent to the area in 2011 when the project was removed from the Indiana Department of Transportation’s future project lists in 2011. Planning for the improved highway had been ongoing since at least 2000 when an environmental impact study was completed by the state.
The 2011 project ended with an improved portion running south from Interstate 64 to the Ohio River through Spencer County.
In 2012, the new group — I-67 Coalition — announced a feasibility study that included the potential economic impact of the improved route that would connect Nashville, Tenn. with Northern Indiana and Michigan. Attached, you can see the progress the former I-67 Coalition (named after an early idea that the route could be Interstate 67) made in the years it was at work until the state approved the formation of regional development authorities.
https://duboiscountyfreepress.com/tag/i-67/
Manufacturers, logistics providers and other businesses have identified a major north to south corridor as the one economically limiting factor in the area that must be overcome for Dubois County to remain a viable economic powerhouse in the future. U.S. 231 running north from the improved portion in Spencer County is considered too dangerous for that route. Companies lose millions of dollars annually sending trucks east or west on Interstate 64 before going north to avoid U.S. 231. (Paragraph edited for clarity)
Where we’re at now
The State Legislature passed a bill in 2017 that allowed municipalities participating in a regional development authority to create a fund specifically for regional infrastructure projects – such as the Midstate Corridor. The legislation also permits RDAs to apply for federal FASTLANE grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which fund road and bridge projects.
The Midstate Corridor Regional Development Authority was formed in 2017 and the group began working out an agreement with INDOT to continue progress on the proposed highway. Large-scale projects like a new highway rely on federal funding to be completed and the agreement with INDOT would be needed to begin speaking with the Federal Highway Commission.
What the next step is
As part of the agreement with INDOT that is expected to be approved later this month, the Midstate Corridor RDA is committed to funding an environmental impact study similar to what was completed by the state in their previous planning more than 18 years ago for the improved U.S. 231.
The estimated cost of the study is about $7 million and will take about three years to complete. The RDA has $3.8 million in commitments for the study from businesses and private sources. As part of the agreement, the City of Jasper, City of Huntingburg and Dubois County are being asked to contribute $3.5 million collectively. The county is being asked to contribute half, or $1.75 million, while the City of Jasper has already agreed to commit $1.4 million and the City of Huntingburg will be considering its contribution of $350,000 later this month.
Those amounts are split according to each how much each entity receives in economic development income taxes and they will be paid over the three-year course of the study
Once the agreement is completed with INDOT, the group will create a request for proposals to choose the companies that will complete the study.
Questions from the public
What’s the hold-up?
At a recent luncheon held by the Jasper Rotary, an attendee asked why the study would take so long. OFS CEO Hank Menke and other representatives for the Midstate RDA explained that the study would cover an area from the Ohio River through Spencer County and Dubois County on up to a connection with I-69. Besides the three or four counties the study will cover, there are numerous waterways controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers and Indiana DNR as well as Hoosier National Forest in the potential path of the road.
Plus, there will be meetings for public input throughout the process.
Menke expects that portions of the studies completed for the abandoned U.S. 231 improvement will be used in this project but he was not sure to what extent due to the age of the studies.
Along with those studies, INDOT is compiling all of their documentation for the area accomplished over the years to contribute to the planning.
Where’s it going to go?
Another attendee asked where the road would be built through the county as the lines shown in renderings from the I-67 group have one of the proposed routes running through his house. Menke explained that those maps were just renderings showing ideas early on in the process. “You could have drawn those lines,” he told the attendee before explaining that the Federal Transportation Commission and INDOT would have the final approval on where any road would be built. “That’s all part of the Tier One study.”
They would also determine what type of road would be built (e.g. four-lane interstate or two-lane highway)
Menke did mention that there had been discussions of the highway going up to French Lick before connecting with I-69. He explained that with Dubois County’s low unemployment, an improved road going into Orange County would make it easier to attract employees to Dubois County. Part of the draw for the road is the improvement that would occur in rural areas it impacted.
Will we have to put more money into the project?
During the meeting, Menke also explained that more money might be needed from the communities to get the road fully funded.
“These projects won’t get built without local communities having skin in the game,” Menke explained.
Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz explained that with property taxes capped, they would likely need to explore other options for funding the public portion of any future commitments to the project.
Why are we talking about this now instead of fixing the roads we have?
If things move forward with the Tier One environmental study and any Tier Two planning that is needed, the project will hopefully end up on INDOT’s next funding cycle as a new project.
Under the current five-year funding cycle that began this year, INDOT is tasked with repairing and maintaining the state’s current infrastructure inventory.
The studies and planning will need to be accomplished over the next few years to be added to INDOT’s project list in five years.
Who is the RDA?
The Midstate Corridor RDA is a public organization comprised of five individuals selected and approved by public officials in Dubois and Spencer County. Those members are Mark Schroeder, chairman and CEO of German American Bancorp; attorney Scott Blazey; David Drake of Huntingburg; Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College; and Ken Mulzer Jr., president of Mulzer Crushed Stone. Each member has a four-year term on the board.
The next meeting is in November.
This is absurd, if I understand it correctly (and I may not). Are you (they) now saying that ANOTHER entirely new highway to be used as an interstate running north and south, essentially parallel to the “new” 231 from the river to I-64 – to continue through DC around Huntingburg and Jasper and connect with I-69 – is being proposed – ? That because the “new” 231 (a sprawling 4-lane completed in the last few years) from the river to I-64 is now “considered too dangerous,” it can’t be used for the first leg anymore and they’re now proposing to build ANOTHER highway (essentially next to – in close proximity of – the “new” 231) all the way from the river to I-64 and continue THAT highway through DC to I-69 – ? If so, I repeat – this is ABSURD – at least that part of it!
I must have missed the formal announcement/declaration of the new 231 as being “considered too dangerous” for this purpose. It’s a wide, sprawling 4-lane highway constructed, I thought, with a future use in mind of being the first leg of such a route being proposed. When and why did that get nixed – ? Because of the subsequent crashes and J-turn issues near Dale, or – ?
The story states U.S. 231 running north from Dubois County is too dangerous but we added more clarity to that paragraph. Although the study will be from the river to I-69, the improved portion of U.S. 231 in Spencer County is considered part of the new route leading into Dubois County.
I just don’t understand what the benefit is to the general public. It seems as if the only people that are pushing this are the companies that transport goods via the interstate. One business, according to a report I heard on the radio, spends $200,000-$300,000 in additional fuel costs to hit the interstate via alternate routes to avoid 231. If that is the case, they stand the most to gain from this, let them invest in the study costs. Leave the county out of it.
Scott, I agree with you. In my profession as a senior supply chain executive it is obvious to me that the ROI on a project of this magnitude does not justify the expense and ongoing maintenance. This seems to be a welfare program for local manufacturers. The freight rates for trucks will be minimal impacted given that the main factor in this analysis is not the few miles that will be removed from the route. Freight rates are based upon mileage, fuel costs and the balance of outbound vs. inbound freight. This will not improve the mileage significantly, it will not have any impact of fuel costs (usage is mileage) and it will not benefit the inbound vs. outbound balance on truck availability.