Major Moves: Moving Indiana ForwardHoosier Heartland Highway Part Three — What We Make of It
The five years (2008-2013) it will take to complete the third and final section of the Hoosier Heartland Highway will be a busy time for economic development. In 2013, the final 38 miles of the 200-mile route will connect the Port of Toledo with Interstate 65 and Interstate 69 via four-lane highway access. Then economic development traffic should really gain maximum acceleration. The last leg of the Hoosier Heartland Highway begins in Lafayette, passes south and east of Delphi, and ends in Logansport. Most of the funds for the $450 million project come from the Major Moves program. The project is within Tippecanoe, Carroll and Cass Counties. "We're working on eleven projects right now," reported Skip Kuker, President of the Logansport-Cass County Economic Development Foundation. "We're getting a lot more interest in our area, especially from the Chicago region, because they know it's coming. We're getting a lot more looks for logistics." Daryl Smith, Executive Director of the Carroll County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC), said his LEDO has been receiving periodic inquiries. "Industry has been looking up and down the corridor for suitable locations," he said. With a grade separated interchange south of Dephi on 421, Smith believes the area will be the first impacted by the Hoosier Highway. The proximity (10 to 15 minutes) to Lafayette and Purdue University is another selling point. Smith said that the CCEDC is already working with an industry out of West Lafayette's research park to secure a site in the area. Too often a dream deferred (it was originally envisioned in the 1970s), the Hoosier Heartland Highway was still well over the next bend before Major Moves, the only fully funded 10-year state transportation program in the nation. Kuker said the third leg was scheduled to possibly start in 2020, with a possible completion date of 2028... if all went well. Now, the current start date is two years earlier than planned with completion three years ahead of the original Major Moves schedule. Kuker said, "Major Moves has opened up and availed that funding to complete the project. It's a boon to our community, and north-central Indiana needs that connectivity." The area's economic development teams are getting out the message — don't let the opportunity zip by. "We honestly think it will be what we make of it," said Smith. "We are actively working to make it beneficial to our area." Skip Kuker, President Logansport-Cass County Economic Development Foundation (574) 722-5988 (800) 686-1067 skip@ledf.com www.ledf.com/main.php Daryl Smith, Executive Director Carroll County Economic Development Corporation 765-564-2060 daryl@carrollcountyedc.com www.carrollcountyindiana.org We want to make this a valuable communication piece that you look forward to reading each month. Please let us know how we can make it more useful to you. Contact Diane at dlthalmann@nisource.com. |
