Now that I-69 is complete from Evansville to Martinsville, there will soon be a new highway connecting some other cities in southwest Indiana to the interstate.
The Mid-States Corridor project is expected to run from the Ohio River, through Huntingburg and Jasper, and connect to I-69, but the project team needs help deciding which route is best.
Project spokesperson Mindy Peterson says the team is considering many factors during the screening process.
“It really is a three-legged stool, looking at impact, cost and performance,” she tells Inside Indiana Business. “We’re talking about increased accessibility to major business markets. We’re talking about more efficient travel for trucks and freight in southern Indiana. We’re talking about reducing crashes in southern Indiana.”
The public will have three opportunities to voice their opinions on the highway project — Feb. 18 at Loogootee High School, Feb. 19 at Bedford Middle School and Feb. 20 at Jasper Middle School.
Peterson says they are working toward narrowing down 10 possible routes to 1 by this fall. Among those 10 are routes linking the new road with I69 At Washington, or Loogootee or French Lick. She says the feedback received by the public and various agencies and local government will help inform the decision to put the road at one of those locations or elsewhere.
The first public meeting is at Loogootee High School on Tuesday (2/18) next week from 5:30 to 7 with an open house format with a presentation planned at 6-pm. If you want more information now go to midstatescorridor.com.
