How Many Studies Have Been Completed About a New Terrain Highway Project and What Were the Results?

How Many Studies Have Been Completed About a New Terrain Highway Project and What Were the Results?

Synopsis

Even before the Mid-States Corridor project came to life, multiple studies were executed between 1990 and 2012 that examined the potential for building a new terrain highway or bypass in Dubois County. They include:

  1. The Donohue Study (1990)
  2. The Rust Study (1996)
  3. The Earth Tech Study (2004)
  4. The Cambridge Systematics I-67 Study (2012)
  5. The Tier 1 FEIS (2023)

Four of these studies were evaluated as part of the Mid-States Corridor Tier 1 Study and other precursor documents. Having a succession of predecessor studies is typical of the process to develop a major highway corridor. The Cambridge Systematics study describes this by stating it is the “typical progression of highway corridor projects.”

What Did The Preceding Studies Find? 

The Donohue Study

Published in February 1990, the Donohue Study considered a range of improvements extending from Indianapolis to the Ohio River. It recommended further evaluation of several projects, three of which have since been constructed. These included:

  1. The upgrade of SR 37 to a freeway between Indianapolis and Bloomington, completed in 2024. 
  2. The upgrade of SR 37 from I-64 to SR-145, completed in 2007. 
  3. The upgrade of US 231 between Rockport and I-64, completed in 2011. 
  4. Further evaluation of a freeway connecting Indianapolis and Evansville, completed in 2024.
  5. Further evaluation of a Jasper/Huntingburg bypass of US 231 due to projected future volume of through traffic on the roadway, which is still outstanding. 

The Rust Study

A 1996 study on the US 231 Corridor, the Rust Study had two primary phases:

  1. Identify feasible alternatives around Huntingburg and Jasper (Bypass Analysis).
  2. Explore Transportation System Management (TSM) alternatives as a means of improving traffic service and capacity on US 231 (TSM Analysis).

The study found that no TSM alternatives in either city could accommodate the future traffic demands and the construction of a bypass (Alternative F) was the primary recommendation of the study.

The Earth Tech Study

In 2004, Earth Tech composed a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS analyzed two highway alternatives (Alternative 27 and 28) in detail. Alternative 27 was to the east of Jasper and Huntingburg, and Alternative 28 was to the west. There was also a supplemental DEIS released in 2011 with more recent traffic forecasts. 

Neither the 2004 DEIS nor the 2011 SDEIS found that a new terrain highway was not economically or environmentally feasible.

The Cambridge Systematics I-67 Study

Published in 2012, Cambridge Systematics studied the benefits of a connection from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Washington, Indiana using existing roads, with some upgrades, between Bowling Green and Huntingburg. A new terrain alignment west of Jasper and Huntingburg continued to Washington. It forecasted that this road over a 20-year period would provide $3.2 billion in transportation benefits and an additional $1.3 billion increase in economic output. 

It recommended more detailed studies to analyze funding options and characterized these recommendations as “typical progression of highway corridor projects.”

Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel

In addition to the four studies, Governor Pence assembled a Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Infrastructure in 2014 that identified four projects as Tier 2 statewide priorities. These included:

  1. I-69 N added travel lanes: Widening of I-69 between Indianapolis and Muncie.
  2. Southwest Indiana Port connections: Construction of a four-lane connection between I-69 and the Port of Mount Vernon, IN.
  3. Mid-States Corridor: A new four-lane connector between the Ohio River near Rockport and I-69.
  4. US 30 Fort Wayne to Valparaiso: Convert US 30 to a fully access-controlled freeway. 

This report by the Governor’s office identified the Mid-States Corridor as a major statewide priority, based on its anticipated economic and transportation benefits.

The Tier 1 FEIS

The Mid-States Corridor Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement is the study of an improved highway connection in southern Indiana published in 2023. The detailed report summarizes the Mid-States Corridor project’s study process, analysis, and findings while assessing the benefits, impacts, and costs of the alternatives. 

The Tier 1 FEIS found the preferred alternative (Alternative P) for the Mid-States Corridor, a 54-mile, 2,000-foot-wide corridor from I-64/US 231 to I-69, which bypasses Huntingburg and Jasper and generally runs parallel to and west of US 231. The study determined that this alternative had the lowest impacts on environmental resources and cost among the evaluated options that met the project’s purpose. 

The Mid-States Corridor Has Always Been a Feasible Project for Transportation Improvements in Southern Indiana

As you can see, the Mid-States Corridor has long been referenced alongside other major projects that have already been completed. None of those decades of studies found that the Mid-States Corridor was not economically and/or environmentally feasible. In fact, most recommended further investigation or development of new terrain highway projects in Dubois County. 

Stay informed about the Mid-States Corridor and related transportation projects by exploring our other blog posts and checking the latest news updates for the most current information.