A rally is set for Wednesday, July 2, at noon on Jasper’s Courthouse Square, where local residents will gather in support of landowners being sued by the Indiana Department of Transportation. The event, called “Round 2,” is organized by the Property Rights Alliance and Stop the Mid-States Corridor project.
The planned 54-mile limited-access highway would connect I-64 near Owensboro to I-69 in southern Indiana. But many Dubois County landowners are pushing back, refusing INDOT surveyors access to their farms and prompting legal action. Earlier this spring, over 100 property owners protested at the courthouse during the first hearing. In May, a judge granted INDOT a preliminary injunction allowing survey work, with the agency arguing delays were costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
Opponents say the project threatens century-old family farms, will damage local ecosystems, and burden taxpayers with estimated construction costs of 19 million dollars per mile. Organizers warn that if INDOT succeeds, more properties could be targeted in the future.
Wednesday’s rally coincides with the second of three court hearings, as INDOT seeks continued legal authority to survey land despite ongoing resistance. The gathering aims to draw attention to concerns over property rights and eminent domain.
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