Bob Deutscher of South Bend has a Good Question: “Has there been any progress toward approval of an interchange off the U.S. 31 Bypass at Adams for Portage Prairie?”

WSBT's Kirk Mason looked into it.

The sign is up along the Bypass in northern St. Joseph County. It says Portage Prairie.

The plan is for the 450 acres near the state line to be developed into homes, offices, medical and industrial buildings.

In July of 2007, developer Holladay Properties broke ground for a 100 home project. At the time the developer said a key to the project's success is a new interchange connecting the Bypass to the property.

For that to happen, the state of Indiana would have to approve the project. An Indiana Department of Transportation spokesperson said the idea has been brought up and discussed. But so far it's only been talk. It's apparently no closer to happening.

INDOT says the state tends to be more re-active then pro-active when it comes to traffic issues. Interchanges are often not built in anticipation of traffic, but rather after traffic is already there.