The special meeting of the Jasper City Council on Thursday, August 14th, 2025, commenced with presentations from Kyanna Wheeler, Major Projects Project Manager for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), and Jason DuPont, Project Manager of the Mid-States Corridor Project (Lochmueller Group) where they provided updates on the current state of the Mid-States Corridor Project. They provided a summary of the progress made in the Tier 1 Study of the Mid-States Corridor Project, and reinforced the statement that decisions made in the Tier 1 Study will not be studied in the Tier 2 Study. The two decisions discussed included the option of “no build”, where there would be no new roadway constructed going north to south in Southern Indiana, and the option of upgrading the existing US-231 roadway. But, both options were eliminated in the Tier 1 Study, according to INDOT/Lochmueller.
As of this August 14th meeting, INDOT/Lochmueller are planning for another Public Information Meeting to take place later this fall, and a Public Hearing for the Draft Environmental Document that identifies the preferred alternative in the Fall of 2026. According to DuPont and the Project Timeline, Lochmueller is expecting to begin the Right of Way Acquisition Process in late 2026, targeting small sections of land throughout the projected area.
Concerns were shared by Councilman Kevin Manley to INDOT/Lochmueller regarding the future of US-231 if the state were to take on this project, and hand-off existing US-231 to local government municipalities. Manley shared that US-231, in its current state, would need to be “completely rebuilt” if the City of Jasper is intended to take over the management/ownership of the roadway from the State. Kyanna Wheeler stated that future discussions about the transfer process would need to be had by the State and the City of Jasper to ensure both parties are satisfied with the results.
After INDOT/Lochmueller concluded their project update for the Council, the Public Input section of tonight’s meeting began with a 30-minute speaker presentation for those in support of the Mid-States Corridor Project. Mark Schroeder, Chair of the Mid-States Redevelopment Authority, began the presentation, with follow-up statements from Sue Ellspermann, Doug Bawel, Mike Ackerman, Elmer Brames, Colten Pipenger, and Bill Kaiser reading notes written by Mark Messmer, and Bryant Niehoff. Bill Kaiser concluded the 30-minute presentation with a few of his own words to the Jasper City Council.
Beginning the 30-minute speaker presentation for those in opposition to the Mid-States Corridor Project was Maggie Marystone, followed by Jason Fleck, and Anna Jones, all members of the Property Rights Alliance.
Following presentations from both sides of the Mid-States debate, Mayor Vonderheide and the Council thanked everyone for the information presented. Councilmember Phil Mundy commended the influx of calls and emails that he and his fellow Councilmembers have received concerning this matter, stating: “Thank you very much, and keep it up…”
This special meeting of the Jasper City Council, including full-length presentations from INDOT/Lochmueller, those in-support of the Mid-States Corridor Project, and those in-opposition of the Mid-States Corridor Project will be available to watch on our broadcast this coming Sunday afternoon, starting at approximately 1:00PM EST, and will be available on-demand on our YouTube channel starting Friday evening (8/15): https://www.youtube.com/18wjts
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