AURORA, Indiana — Ohio County commissioners passed a resolution Monday night telling the state they don’t want a new highway running through their county.
The resolution is in opposition to INDOT’s Link 101 project, which would better connect State Road 101 between U.S. 50 and the Markland Dam Bridge.
The project team says the current roads are “winding, making them ineffective for travel and freight movement.” The new road would save about 15 minutes, according to the project team.
"The existing road network of Ohio County and neighboring counties adequately connects the region," the resolution states. "Funds can be better spent maintaining and repairing existing roads.
"Taxpayer and societal costs of the proposed project through Ohio County far outweigh any potential local benefits. These reasons, and others, in our judgment indicate a lack of need for this project."
Link101 Project Spokesperson Mindy Peterson said the team is aware of the resolution but has not yet received it. She said it will be included in the team’s decisions, along with all other public feedback.
The next step for the project is to narrow down the list from 10 proposed alternatives to a smaller number.
“Do we have a new alternative, possibly, coming into the mix that would focus more on some of those improvements, or at least include a greater level of improvements to local roadways?” Peterson said. “Those are all items the project team is looking at.”
The current 10 proposed lines are nothing more than “lines on a map,” Peterson said. As the team narrows down the options, they’ll be able to adjust them. Peterson repeatedly stressed that even the one line that may be chosen is not the final path for the roadway.
Stephen Otte is one of the leaders behind Stop Link101, a grassroots group against any of the highway options.
“This is more than just a fight over land. This is a fight over people’s dreams,” he said.
The group held a rally on Sept. 23 and since then has gained more momentum, Otte said. He called the resolution in Ohio County a “big step,” one that the group will try to replicate in other surrounding counties.
Some Southeast Indiana residents opposed to project that would build roadway through their property https://t.co/fQvWAsaTj6
— WCPO 9 (@WCPO) September 24, 2023
“The greatest misconception is, number one, that this brings benefits to our community,” he said. “For the majority of us, we lose our farms, we lose our small businesses. This doesn’t create a safer roadway system because we’re going to have tens of thousands of semis coming down through our land.”
The project team said they have received input that the current roads are hazardous.
Tracy Stegall moved to the region with her two daughters and grandchildren to learn how to farm and be together. Now, one of the proposed routes runs through their adjoining properties.
“Our family will be divided by this highway, and that’s the worst part,” Stegall said.
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