INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – In a meeting with Congressman Donnelly last week, the U.S. 31 Coalition gave its support to the Marshall County 7A Road extension project as a critical element of the U.S. 31 corridor project.

Dennis Faulkenberg, the Executive Director of the Coalition, wrote a letter that stated, in part, that "…for communities to take advantage of the benefits that the completed U.S. 31 corridor will provide, sufficient local infrastructure must be in place….To that end, Marshall County is working aggressively to provide the needed access from U.S. 31 to Plymouth and to the County.  The U.S. 31 Coalition has commended Marshall County for its leadership on this issue, and lends its support to the project."

This project will allow the U.S. 31 corridor project to lend its economic development benefits to all of Marshall County by providing necessary connections to various economic hubs.  The U.S. 31 Coalition decided at its last Board of Directors meeting that this local project provides the correct type of planning and forethought for an integrated and successful infrastructure system.

According to previous studies commissioned by the Indiana Department of Transportation, the completed U.S. 31 project will generate $5.3 billion of savings from reduced travel times, provide $2.6 billion in improved roadway safety, and generate an additional 5,010 jobs in the State of Indiana. 

However, according to Mr. Faulkenberg, "These benefits will not be realized without the of aggressive road planning demonstrated by Marshall County and other communities along the corridor.  Instead, U.S. 31 traffic would only move through the state, instead of throughout the state."

The U.S. 31 Coalition is a group of citizens, companies and elected officials who are dedicated to the upgrading of U.S. 31 to a free-flowing freeway quality thoroughfare connecting U.S. 20 in St. Joseph County to I-465 in Marion County.  It's membership includes 9 Cities, 6 Counties, and over 25 Companies located in and near the U.S. 31 corridor in northern and central Indiana. 

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Contact:           Dennis E. Faulkenberg

Phone:              (317) 431-7679

Email:               dennis.faulkenberg@icemiller.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 18, 2007

HOWARD COUNTY'S U.S. 31 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLETE

HOWARD COUNTY, Ind. – Lt. Governor Becky Skillman traveled to Kokomo today to announce that the final step in the environmental study of the Howard County portion of U.S. 31 is now finalized.  The Record of Decision, the federal government's stamp of approval of the $345 million project, was recently signed by the Federal Highway Administration.

U.S. 31 Coalition President John Letherman responded to the announcement by saying, "This is great news for Howard County, the entire U.S. 31 corridor and frankly, the whole State of Indiana."

Letherman, who also serves as Elkhart County Council President, continued, "We've been waiting for years for this to happen, and the completion of the federal environmental process brings us closer to our goal of, and Governor Daniels' commitment to, a stoplight-free, interstate-like U.S. 31 all the way from Indianapolis to South Bend."

The Record of Decision closes out 4 ½ years of intensive work to determine the U.S. 31 location that best serves the public and minimizes impacts.  The study first examined eight alternatives, narrowing it down to a four lane, limited access route that travels from the existing U.S. 31 in Tipton County, east of CR 200E, and back to the existing U.S. 31 at CR 450 N.  In recent months, local officials and the Indiana Department of Transportation improved the potential benefits of the project even further by adding interchanges at East Boulevard Street and at Touby Pike.

U.S. 31 Coalition Executive Director Dennis Faulkenberg stated, "This step in the process keeps us on track to reach the 2009 construction start date of this project.  And with that start date, we are well on our way to recognizing the tremendous benefits from the U.S. 31 corridor project."

According to previous studies commissioned by the Indiana Department of Transportation, the completed U.S. 31 project will generate $5.3 billion of savings from reduced travel times, provide $2.6 billion in improved roadway safety, and generate an additional 5,010 jobs in the State of Indiana. 

The U.S. 31 Coalition is a group of citizens, companies and elected officials who are dedicated to the upgrading of U.S. 31 to a free-flowing interstate-like thoroughfare connecting U.S. 20 in St. Joseph County to I-465 in Marion County.