I-70 and US 41
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Underused U.S. 41 north of Evansville |
April 22, 2004 Edition
| TRUE: | "The fact that the federal government OK'd the project doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean it's going to be built." State Senator Lawrence Borst, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee (Indianapolis Star; March 31, 2004). |
| FALSE: | INDOT Commissioner Bryan Nicol claimed "the debate is over" at a March 29, 2004 press conference announcing the federal record of decision on the new-terrain I-69 route (Evansville Courier & Press, March 30, 2004). |
*** There is no identified funding source for I-69. In an op-ed published in October of 2003, Senator Borst said the state would have to raise the gas tax or postpone other highway projects to fund I-69. Borst went on to say that "Taxpayers...will lose state education and health care dollars if the state chooses to concentrate its resources and spend $1.7 billion for I-69..." (Southside Times; October 30, 2003)
NOTE: The actual cost of the new-terrain I-69 between Indianapolis and Evansville is at least 1.9 billion and may be as much as $3 billion when connections to Kentucky and around Indianapolis are included.
*** The Federal Highway Administration's approval of INDOT's new-terrain route in late March only covered the first phase of environmental studies. INDOT has estimated the second phase could take as much as three years for some segments of the route.
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Please visit our friends working for commonsense on I-69:
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