Local Governments Must Decide to Accept or Rebuff U.S. 231 Relinquishment

As the Mid-States Corridor conversation progresses, other decisions are emerging for local government. 

According to INDOT, a section of the heavily traveled U.S. 231 is planned for relinquishment to several local entities. The City of Jasper will be responsible for 5.91 miles of roadway and Huntingburg will maintain 3.38 miles. Dubois County will be responsible for the most significant length of road, at approximately 10.4 miles. In addition to the added workload, concerns over budgetary impact have been raised at municipal meetings over the last few months. 

Local officials from the cities of Jasper and Huntingburg, as well as the county, have already had preliminary discussions with INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation). At issue is the timing for taking over the roadway, which would transfer the responsibilities for maintenance – and associated costs – to the city or county. Dubois County Commissioner Blessinger said that the panel held its most recent meeting in June “to continue the discussion on relinquishment and what that would look like…to discuss the concerns of some of the local units and get some feedback from INDOT.”  

He summarized a number of options publicly, saying that the county can either take over responsibility for their stretch of U.S. 231 immediately or after the Corridor is completed. If the county opts for the earlier option, the state would have to provide some level of financial compensation and the county would be responsible for maintaining the road. If they choose to wait, the responsibility for maintenance of the highway would be deferred until the Mid-States Corridor is completed and opened. 

Commissioner Blessinger shared his concern that, if the county were to choose earlier relinquishment, the condition of the road would be unknown at the time of transfer. In that case, the county might be responsible for maintaining a road that was in poor condition. He emphasized that his primary concern is in protecting the interests of the county, and that the uncertain timeline and financial implications of taking control of the 231 before construction is completed could place it in a vulnerable position. In a straight-forward assessment, he concluded, “I have no interest in taking the road over until such time that the other road is open.” 

Blessinger’s fellow Commissioners Hostetter and Stenftenagel echoed his concerns. Hostetter has gone further publicly, saying, “I also have an ask of the state not to give us a poorly maintained road. Not that we immediately get it and it needs pavement, and it hasn’t been maintained, and we got a big cost on our hands.” Additionally, he cited a similar situation with 3 rd Street in Jasper, noting that the road was repaved and restored to new condition before responsibility for its maintenance was transferred.  

All three Commissioners agreed that they would feel most comfortable with waiting for the state to complete construction before relinquishment. Blessinger summed up the board’s decision, “When they ask in the future, I’ll say the board’s feeling as of today is we are not interested in relinquishment.” Any significant changes in terms from the state will require evaluation, and local governments will likely continue discussions about the roadway’s transfer in the coming months.  

For more information on these and other updates, visit www.witzamfm.com/news 

 - Drew Hasselbring