Evansville Courier & Press
The Interstate 69 highway project, now under construction at the Evansville end, never has enjoyed overwhelming support in Indianapolis. Throughout the many years of debate leading up to the start of construction last summer, the highway project never did enjoy the support in Indianapolis and Bloomington that it did in the Evansville area.
In many instances, it was an outright fight between pro- and anti-highway Hoosiers.
Folks in Southwestern Indiana might think that now with the start of construction and the state's setting aside $700 million for the first stages of the project, that the fight is over.
Not so, judging from an editorial, and quotes in a story in the Indianapolis Star newspaper this past week.
The Star reported on Monday that state reports show the early stages of the project could run at least $120 million over budget.
The $700 million was intended to get the highway to near Crane, Ind., but the Star report says that money may not be enough to get the highway to the Naval Warfare Center.
As reported by the Star, the Indiana Department of Transportation disagreed, stating that the $700,000 is for construction, and does not include engineering, design, and land acquisition expenses, which are to be covered in regular funding.
The $700 million came from the Major Moves initiative of Gov. Mitch Daniels, who supports I-69.
Elsewhere on this page, Steven Schaefer of Hoosier Voices for I-69, takes issue with Indianapolis Star report. It is recommended reading.
Also, we would point out that these increased costs are no surprise. It was reported by the Courier & Press on May 17 that inflation was elevating the overall estimated costs of the highway. That is no reason to stop.
As we said at the time, this project has been delayed for years, in part by the tactics of highway foes. Yes, it is going to cost more than it would have, had they not caused then-Gov. Frank O'Bannon to delay its start in favor of a comprehensive environmental study.
Yet, in the Star story, Thomas Tokarski, president of Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads, said, "They are going to run out of money," and John Smith, another I-69 foe, from the group, Count Us, said the highway is not a done deal. "They won't have the resources to build it."
They said the highway is unnecessary and is motivated by political pandering to the Evansville area.
And The Star, in an editorial on Wednesday called the highway a "dubious venture," contending that the route chosen was the most expensive.
The editorial, said, "Fresh from a legislative bloodbath over school funding and other essential programs (including road repairs), Hoosiers have to worry about this (I-69) bill, as will their grandchildren."
It sounds as if they are attempting to take the people of Evansville and Southwestern Indiana on a guilt trip.
How dare them.
The people of our region have been talking about an interstate-type highway for more than 50 years.
The lines in this immediate battle were drawn nearly 20 years when officials and citizens alike recognized had been shortchanged.
They looked at a map of their state and saw the infamous missing spoke - interstate highways extending out from Indianapolis to all major cities in the state except to the southwest corner of the state.
They looked at Indianapolis and saw a mass of highway pavement surrounding and running through the capital city.
And all the while, we were looking for a way to Indianapolis that did not take us out of the way to Terre Haute or New Albany, and did not require us to follow slow-moving coal trucks on curvy, hilly two-lane roads.
We still are today.
And now they seem to expect the state to call the whole thing off, or change directions and run it up toward Terre Haute.
How dare them.