US 30 Environmental Study Set To Begin
Staff Report
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Transportation on Friday, Aug. 26, announced the start of environmental studies ahead of plans to convert US 30 from a highway to a limited access freeway.
Friday’s announcement was for projects on both US 30 and parts of US 31 in northern Indiana.
Studies on both routes will use a collaborative approach to consider environmental, community and economic goals early in project development, the state said.
The first round of public meetings that are part of the studies are planned for this fall. More information about each meeting will be available at a later date.
The anticipated completion of the studies is expected by the fall of 2024. With community support, each study will identify a range of alternatives, including a no-build alternative for each corridor.
Once the studies are complete and funding is identified for projects, INDOT will move into the next phases of development using the feedback and alternatives gathered during the PEL process.
The two-year studies will allow INDOT to interact with communities as they share ideas and feedback related to long-term solutions on US 30 and US 31.
Each county along US 30, from Fort Wayne to Valparaiso, is working to determine its preferred path for the future freeway.
Kosciusko County will rely on a series of new interchanges and overpasses and a future network of frontage roads to provide access to the highway.
The process includes the development of alternatives that balance input from the community with transportation engineering needs and environmental concerns. The information, analysis and decisions made during the PEL process can be leveraged in later phases of project development, including the environmental review process based on requirements established in the National Environmental Policy Act.
The studies span 180 miles across 12 counties and include US 30 from Valparaiso to the Indiana/Ohio state line (excluding the Fort Wayne bypass), as well as US 31 between Hamilton County and Plymouth (excluding the Kokomo bypass). Counties within the study area include Allen, Fulton, Hamilton, Howard, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Marshall, Miami, Porter, Starke, Tipton and Whitley Counties.
The PEL studies will be collaborative, data-driven and influenced by the public’s ideas. Throughout the process, INDOT will invite input from communities along the corridor to identify what needs and concerns should be addressed by future improvements. With help from residents, motorists, businesses and other road users, INDOT can build infrastructure that will better serve Hoosiers. The studies will gather questions, concerns and ideas through a variety of means, including project websites, social media, and in-person and virtual public information meetings.