3 meetings to eye proposals for expressway from Ohio River to Indy

JASPER, Ind. (WISH) — State transportation officials this week will discuss their preliminary plans for a new expressway to connect I-64 in southwestern Indiana with I-69 in central Indiana.

It’s called the Mid-States Corridor Project. For Indianapolis-area motorists, the route would give motorists quicker access to tourism opportunities in the Indiana towns of French Lick and Santa Claus and even across the state border to Owensboro, Kentucky, on the Ohio River. Another goal of the route is to allow trucks to move goods faster and more safely through the region.

Ten alternatives on five routes are advancing for more detailed study. One would run through French Link and connect with I-69 near Bloomington. Another would run close to Loogootee and Jasper before connecting to I-69. The other would connect to I-69 near Washington, Indiana.

The final route is to be chosen by summer 2021. No timeline has been set for construction.

In three public meetings this week, the project team will discuss and take comments on the 10 alternatives. The meetings will be from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday at Loogootee High School, Wednesday at Bedford Middle School and Thursday at Jasper Middle School. A presentation is planned for 6 p.m. each night.

For people unable to attend the meetings, the screening report for the project and a questionnaire are available at midstatescorridor.com. Responses to the questionnaire will be accepted through March 23.