STATEHOUSE (Oct. 11, 2018) — Earlier this week, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced the finalization of a partnership agreement with the Mid State Corridor Regional Development Authority (RDA) to review the possibility of constructing a highway in rural southwest Indiana. The Mid State Corridor RDA was formed as a result of Senate Enrolled Act 128, authored by State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) in 2017.
The agreement allows INDOT and the Mid State Corridor RDA to move forward on a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Mid State Corridor. The EIS will examine potential impacts to the natural and human environments along the proposed corridor, which begins at the U.S. 231 interchange with Interstate 64 near Dale, progressing north through Dubois County near the cities of Jasper and Huntingburg, and connecting with Interstate 69. The Federal Highway Administration requires all major construction projects using federal transportation funding to employ an EIS.
The partnership between INDOT and the Mid State Corridor RDA was made possible by the passage of SEA 128, which allows Indiana counties to form RDAs so local communities can combine their resources and work with INDOT to expedite regional infrastructure projects.
“This is the first regional infrastructure RDA in Indiana and exactly what I envisioned in 2017 when authoring SEA 128 with then-State Rep. Mike Braun,” Messmer said. “We created a process that allows local government to partner with the private sector to help advance regional infrastructure projects across the state, and I look forward to seeing the possibilities this process creates.”
As part of the agreement, the Mid State Corridor RDA will provide $7 million in local funding to cover costs of the environmental study. Additionally, INDOT will add Mid State Corridor to its Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
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For a photo of State Sen. Mark Messmer, click here.
