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News and Topics of Interest

            Terre Haute will finally move into the implementation phase with the southeast SR 641 bypass project in May with a groundbreaking scheduled for May 19, 2003.
            The Long Range Transportation Plan was completed in 1990, and the bypass project was accepted by INDOT in 1991.  
            Many years have been spent with alternatives analysis, environmental impact analysis, and other aspects of project finalization.
            As currently proposed, the project which is approximately 6.5 miles in length, will cost between 90 and 100 million dollars.
            The city of Terre Haute has moved forward with their responsibilities to upgrade a connecting link with SR 641, by four laning a Phase I portion of 13^th St.  Phase II engineering is underway which will complete the city’s responsibility.
            Vigo County is currently in the engineering phase of meeting their responsibility with a four laned Canal Road connecting link to SR 641.
            Once the SR 641 bypass project and four laned connecting Canal Rd/13^th St. corridor come on line, congestion on the south US 41 corridor will be greatly alleviated.
            The SR 641 bypass project will represent the first major corridor improvement project to occur in the Terre Haute area in three decades.
            The year 2025 plan envisions additional improvements to the network in an extension of SR 641 to complete an eastside bypass, as well as other system upgrades.
            Since capital program dollars are scarce on the federal, state, and local levels, MPO’s are weighing their capital projects carefully and making sure that cost/benefit ratio’s justify our recommendations.
            Many local elected officials are realizing the integrity of the MPO planning process as transportation decisions are made only after careful planning, vigorous scrutiny, and alternatives analysis protocols are followed.
            MPO’s are making every dollar count, and counting every dollar.

                                                                                                                      Merv Nolot