Letter: Mid-State Corridor – Did you know?
- Did you know congestion and municipal maintenance is a huge problem within the Jasper city limits and are one of the factors for the Mid-States Corridor Project?
- Did you know the Mid-States Corridor will utilize the existing Highway 231 south of Huntingburg?
- Did you know the Mid-States Corridor will NOT utilize the existing Highway 231 north of Haysville and instead will run roughly parallel to Highway 231?
- Did you know the Mid-States Corridor proposes a bypass west of Loogootee which will negatively impact spontaneous stops at local businesses and restaurants?
- Did you know, that the Mid-States Corridor will be limited-access and cause many county roads to become dead-end roads?
- Did you know, because of these dead-end roads, some farmers will need to travel up to 10 miles to care for animals and crops which they can see from their house windows?
- Did you know in 2021 Governor Holcomb announced $75 million identified for the design and improvements of the existing Highway 231 between Crane and Dale?
- Did you know these improvements to Highway 231 include passing lanes and improved intersections between Haysville and Crane?
- Did you know these improvements to Highway 231 also include upgrading to 4 lanes in parts of Huntingburg and Jasper?
- Did you know the Mid-States Corridor project is not considering (at this time) these Highway 231 infrastructure improvements to minimize design and construction impacts?
- Did you know, that then State Representative Mike Braun and current State Senator Mark Messmer introduced a bill in 2017 which became law to permit private funding of transportation infrastructure studies in Indiana?
- Did you know, that the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA) consists of representatives ONLY from Dubois and Spencer Counties?
- Did you know a single “no” vote from any board member of the Mid-States Corridor RDA prevents any new representation from other impacted counties?
- Did you know the RDA Board will not release the names of the businesses and companies which helped fund the Draft Environmental Impact Statement?
- Did you know in 2020, Senator Mike Braun told veterans and local elected officials in Lawrence county that arguments using the basis of lost farmland will not sway the decision regarding the Mid-States Corridor?
- Did you know the United States is a democracy and our voices can be heard?
- Did you know citizens in and around French Lick and West Baden rallied to keep the Mid-States Corridor from going thru their cities?
- Did you know citizens could choose to no longer do business in Dubois and Spencer Counties?
- Did you know taking no stance on the Mid-States Corridor is essentially supporting the project and its current proposed route?
- Did you know the comment period for the Mid-States Corridor project closes on June 14, 2022?
- Did you know the details for how to submit your comments can be found at: https://midstatescorridor.com/deis/#FORMAL
I hope you now know.
Glenda Weimer, Martin County
I think this Mid-States Corridor is the wrong solution for Dubois County.
And so what’s the right solution…? Please tell us, but with this in mind: It’s NOT fixing/using US231 through the Huntingburg/Jasper corridor, to be sure. It and the over/under infrastructure was built decades ago for decades-old vehicles and traffic, both in size/weight and numbers, and it cannot continue to be band-aided with what are essentially wasted funds/efforts time and again. It’s already been stated here by other locals not with any commitee nor INDOT, that the direct costs, related costs and logistics needed to repair, realign and upgrade 231 to meet today’s requirements with all the infastructure issues that most people neither know about nor understand, are so incomprehensibly prohibitive…way more than the proposed section of the highway through Dubois County…as to boggle the mind. Existing US231 is not an option, plain and simple. So, now…what IS the option/solution…?
Frankly, the biggest change needing to be made on 231 has nothing to do with the corridor. The number of left hand turn (crossing traffic without a light) need to be reduced. We also need to reduce the number of entries onto 231 from side streets.
I don’t know what the best solution is; however, the are solutions with less environmental impact.
Personally, after seeing the conditions of existing roads I am just not sure we can maintain another.
What about a bypass around Jasper and/or Huntingburg (as proposed by the Mid-States Corridor Project) that utilizes where possible land and property already zoned for industrial use? This bypass should have, at a minimum, entrance/exit access at the southern and northern ends of the bypass. I believe anyone who travels through Jasper via Hwy 231 fully realizes the congestion, safety and infrastructure nightmares which exist. The bypass/bypasses would reconnect with Hwy 231 at each end.
There are serious problems that exist with our current highway infrastructure. And when/if the State of Indiana acknowledges that said problems exist and puts tax dollars toward fixing them, you can bet that they are a HUGE set of problems, and that the amount of tax dollars dedicated to the correction is less than half of what is actually needed. Just my two cents after living in Southern Indiana my whole life.
Did you know that the it cost me $90 to fill my truck with gas just so I could drive to work this week? With the current price of fuel we should be clamoring for more efficient roadways. The current wait every block for a stop light routine is making me nauseous.
It’s unfortunate, but this statement is actually false…
“Did you know the United States is a democracy and our voices can be heard?”
The United States is actually a republic to where we elect an official that will best represent our voice and ideals, so the general population cannot directly ratify/veto policy. You are guaranteed the right to free speech and the right to assemble. Use these rights both peaceably, respectfully, and responsibly to make your voices heard.
It seems the proposed highway will only benefit a very few individuals, and are representives could care less about the average citizens. Any one in government supporting this needs to be voted out.
Did you know there has never been a road that didn’t take a person’s land?
Did you know that doesn’t make it right or justifiable?
Like someone dying because the road is unsafe? How is that justifiable?
Can you cite something where there was a traffic fatality on 231 where the cause was directly related to “corridor-less induced congestion” and not just standard human error? Otherwise safety is pretty empty term here.
Isn’t it always human error?