The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) launched a new website today to keep the public informed on the Interstate 69 project.

Below is an excerpt from the press release;

“INDOT recognizes the value of engaging the public throughout project development,” said INDOT Deputy Director of Major Programs Samuel Sarvis.  “The I-69 Project Web site is one of many tools that ensures the public is not only informed of project activity, but also provides multiple opportunities for input to the decision-making process.  I encourage you to visit the website at www.i69indyevn.org.”

Late last week, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica unveiled a comprehensive, multi-year transportation reauthorization proposal that would authorize six years of funding for highway, transit and highway safety programs.

At the announcement, U.S. Congressman Larry Bucshon, a member of the House Transportation Committee spoke in support of the proposal and took the opportunity to praise Indiana’s Major Moves legislation that is a funding mechanism for the Interstate 69 project.

Other highlights of the bill include:

• Project delivery will be streamlined by cutting bureaucratic red tape and delegating more decision authority to the States and setting hard deadlines for Federal agencies to approve projects.
• Consolidate or eliminate over 70 programs that are duplicative or do not serve a federal purpose.
• The bill will leverage exisiting Federal resources and adopts Federal policies that will entice the private sector to invest in transportation infrastructure.

Local officials were joined by representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) last week to announce a $2 million dollar grant to the City of Washington, IN to build a new intersection off of U.S. 50 to connect with the new Interstate 69 highway.

As reported in the Evansville Courier and Press;

“Washington Mayor Larry Haag said the community is positioning itself to make the most of its link to the I-69 project. In fact, he is so optimistic that he believes the city will double its population of 12,500 over the next 10 years.”

Good news for the City of Washington!

Since the Bloomington Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) voted to remove the Interstate 69 project from its long-range plan last month, significant public outcry is putting a spotlight on the issue once again.

We’ve been told that the MPO has received several emails and calls from citizens living in Monroe and Greene County, as well as letters from elected officials throughout southwest Indiana opposing their recent action.

The Evansville Courier and Press printed one of those letters that was signed by the Mayors of Princeton, Oakland City, Petersburg, Loogootee and Washington.

Below is an excerpt from the letter. 

The Interstate 69 that is built today is the result of financial commitment, planning and the recognition that Southwest Indiana cannot be left behind in the economic efforts to grow the entire state. Daniels recognized this when he accelerated the road construction.

We are part of this great state and we believe in I-69 and its prospects for the future. It is time for those who have a viable transportation system in Bloomington to cooperate with those communites in the southern portion of the state who need and would utilize I-69 as a major transportation artery to Bloomington and Indianapolis

Don’t forget about economic need. We count, too.

Last week, the Bloomington Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) made an unexpected move by voting to remove a section of the Interstate 69 project from it’s 2012-15 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). 

It is no surprise that the primary source of highway opposition resides in the Bloomington area and the vote further attempts to stop the highway from reaching Monroe County altogether.

However, this latest action contradicts the MPO’s vote in 2010 that approved the exact same portions of the Interstate 69 project in the TIP.

Although opponents are claiming victory, this action in no way halts the progress of the Interstate 69 project. In fact, we recommend that the MPO listen to the wisdom of the Bloomington Herald Times editorial board;

“Anti-highway MPO efforts look futile

It’s a David and Goliath story, but in this case David is more likely to get squashed than to slay the giant.

The legal machinations that are being hurled at the state’s plans for Interstate 69 seem to amount to little more than throwing rocks.

The local Metropolitan Planning Organization is a great thing for allocating money for projects, and coordinating and aligning transportation projects between and among government groups. But it looks desperate and weak trying to derail an interstate highway by citing pages of legal loopholes.

The MPO in Monroe County is not going to stop the highway. It’s much more likely to incur legal fees and generate lots of red tape.”   H-T Editorial Board on 5/13/2011

Last week, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) provided the following update via press release on the Interstate 69 project in Indiana;

I-69 from Evansville to Crane on schedule for 2012 opening

WASHINGTON, Ind. — Governor Mitch Daniels today joined Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) officials for a construction briefing on the Interstate 69 (I-69) corridor from Evansville to US 231 (Crane). The 65 miles of new interstate is scheduled to open for traffic in late 2012 and is an aggressive goal. Two miles of I-69 was opened to traffic in the fall of 2009 and five contracts for the road are currently under construction. The remaining segments will be underway this spring. Construction is currently on schedule to be open for traffic on time.

The construction firms present at today’s briefing confirmed that this is an aggressive goal but that they are up to the task. Sections 1-3 of the I-69 Corridor is under the $700 million construction budget with one contract remaining to be awarded for construction. The construction of I-69 from Evansville to US 231 (Crane), Sections 1-3, is made possible by Major Moves and was estimated to cost $700 million. Providing interstate access to southwest Indiana is one of the Governor’s top transportation priorities. Daniels announced in October 2009 that efforts to build the I-69 corridor from Evansville to Indianapolis would be placed on a fast track. Opening the road in 2012 is eight years earlier than original Major Moves construction schedule.

In May 2010, Daniels announced that the 27 miles connecting Crane to Bloomington (Section 4 of I-69) will be open in 2014. INDOT confirmed on Wednesday the aggressive goal is also meeting expectations for on time completion to Bloomington.

The new interstate is widely regarded as a key component to the future economic vitality of Southwestern Indiana and will provide necessary connectivity with the rest of the state and the nation. For more information about all six sections of I-69, visit the project website at www.i69indyevn.org.

Two groups credited with helping move the Interstate 69 project forward have joined forces to hire a federal lobbyist to further their work. C-LINK and Hoosier Voices for I-69 will employ the lobbying services of Appian Advisors starting today, March 1^st.

“Hiring a lobbyist represents a major step for us,” says Joe Miller, chair of C-LINK. “We believe it’s time to take that next step with our I-69 advocacy on the federal level.”

“There’s been a lot of I-69 progress in both Indiana and Kentucky the past three years,” adds Jeff Mulzer, chair of Hoosier Voices for I-69. “We’re excited about this new partnership with C-LINK, while maintaining our advocacy efforts in Indiana under the leadership of Steve Schaefer, our executive director since 2006.”

This spring, more than 60 miles of construction of I-69 will be underway in Indiana with the plan to have the project completed between Evansville and Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center by the end of 2012. In Kentucky, legislators added eight I-69 projects to the state’s road plan in 2010. A project manager was named for the project for the first time, and the state is currently working with the FHWA to determine what upgrades will be required for the three parkways in western Kentucky that will become I-69.

According to Miller and Mulzer, Appian Advisors will focus primarily on the new Ohio River bridge that will connect I-69 between the two states. Legislation enacted in 2009 by the Kentucky General Assembly creating an infrastructure authority has provided a framework for constructing “mega-projects” like the I-69 bridge.

“We need someone like Appian who knows the right people in Indianapolis, Frankfort and Washington D.C. to start ‘connecting the dots’ for the new bridge,” adds Miller. “The sooner that happens, the sooner the bridge can be designed and built.”

Dennis Faulkenberg, formerly the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer of the Indiana Department of Transportation and a nationally-recognized transportation funding advisor, is the principal of Appian Advisors. Both C-LINK and Hoosier Voices will be meeting with government and private industry and business to raise funds for the lobbying arrangement.

C-LINK (Chamber Leadership Initiatives for Northwestern Kentucky) was formed in 2007 and is an alliance of 12 chambers of commerce in northwestern Kentucky. Hoosier Voices for I-69 is a public advocacy coalition comprised of citizens, businesses and organizations from across Indiana that was originally formed in 1991.

For more information on C-LINK, please visit www.buildi69-ky.com.

For more information on Hoosier Voices  for I-69, please visit www.buildi69.com.

This past weekend, U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-FL)  held a “listening session” in Indianapolis to hear ideas and input on the next transportation reauthorization bill from panelists and members of the public.

Chairman Mica was joined by U.S. Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and U.S. Congressman Larry Bucshon (R-IN), who are both members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.  Additionally, U.S. Congressman Todd Rokita (R-IN), U.S. Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard participated in the discussion.

After two hours of discussion and input, it was clear that Chairman Mica favors a long-term (at least six years) reauthorization of the transportation bill and was greatly impressed by the success story of Major Moves and the transportation investments made in the state of Indiana.

A focal point of the meeting was the Interstate 69 project and the need for a new Ohio River bridge that will connect interstate traffic through Indiana and Kentucky.  While 60+ miles of the Interstate 69 highway are now under construction in Indiana, it will simply end up in a cul-de-sac in Evansville, unless a new bridge is constructed.

Congressman Bucshon underscored that point by saying, “a bridge over the Ohio River linking the Indiana and Kentucky portions of I-69 is clearly something that is going to be required soon.”

With that said, we are proud to once again have representation and an I-69 supporter on this important committee.

Yet again, the opponents to the Interstate 69 project have filed suit to attempt to slow down progress on the highway currently being built in Indiana.

The suit, which is being handled by a Chicago-based law firm, seeks to overturn an Army Corps of Engineers permit issued for the I-69 Evansville-to-Indianapolis highway project.   According to the plaintiff’s press release, “the permit, required by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, authorized the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to destroy valuable natural resources by rerouting streams and filling in wetlands crossed by the highway.”  Furthermore, they have asked the U.S. District Court to halt work on the entire highway until the state fully complies with the federal Clean Water Act.

With that said, the state of Indiana has successfully defeated these types of challenges in the past, given the extensive environmental mitigation efforts undertaken for the Interstate 69 project from the very beginning. 

*Editor’s note:  We encourage our readers to view a recent editorial by the Evansville Courier and Press regarding this latest issue….which was right on the mark!  We greatly appreciate their common sense coverage and support of the I-69 project.

U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee  Press Release (2/2/11):

Mica Announces Major Transportation Bill Field Hearings & Public Forums

 Washington, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) today announced the locations for a series of national field hearings and public forums on pending major surface transportation legislation.

The nationwide meetings with state and local officials and transportation stakeholders will help inform the Committee’s drafting of a long-term reauthorization of the nation’s highway, transit, and highway safety programs.  The legislation will help improve our transportation infrastructure and promote job creation in the nation’s hard-hit construction industry.

The Committee will seek input on how to consolidate and improve the performance of programs, cut government red tape and streamline the project delivery process, increase private sector investment in our infrastructure, identify creative financing alternatives, and other ideas for writing the legislation.  The previous multi-year law (SAFETEA- LU) expired in September 2009.

“The best ideas to improve and streamline government programs often come from outside of Washington, and before we draft any legislation these meetings will provide the Committee with valuable insight and information,” Mica said. 

Chairman Mica, Members of the Committee and other lawmakers will participate in the hearings and meetings, which will begin on February 14, 2011 in West Virginia, home state of the Committee’s Ranking Democrat Member Nick J. Rahall.  At least a dozen other sessions across numerous states are currently planned for February 17-25, including a joint House-Senate hearing in Los Angeles in cooperation with Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.  (Further details regarding meetings will be announced at a later date.)

The Committee will travel to the following communities to gather information for the transportation reauthorization bill:

Beckley, West Virginia; Charleston, West Virginia; the Philadelphia Metropolitan area; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Rochester, New York; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; the Chicago Metropolitan area; Vancouver, Washington; Fresno, California; Los Angeles; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Jonesboro, Arkansas; the Memphis Metropolitan area.