What is Gov. Daniels saying about the U.S. 31 South Bend to Indianapolis Corridor

By Kirk Mason (mason@wsbt.com)

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Officials broke ground on the new U.S. 31 in Lakeville on Wednesday, September 17, 2008. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jan 14, 2009 at 4:51 PM EST

Story Updated: Jan 14, 2009 at 4:51 PM EST

SOUTH BEND — In his State of the State address, Gov. Mitch Daniels spoke about new infrastructure programs going on across the state.

Wayman of South Bend has a Good Question: What is Governor Daniels saying about the U.S. 31 South Bend to Indianapolis Corridor?

WSBT's Kirk Mason has the latest.

When Gov. Daniels leased the Indiana Toll Road, he announced the billons of dollars would be used for road and infrastructure projects across the state.

And during his State of the State address Daniels pointed out Indiana has that money in the bank, while others are desperate for money.

“That's Cincinnati, as in Ohio, with its $7 billion deficit and downgraded credit rating, begging Washington for a massive handout. That's Chicago, as in Illinois, a perennial ethical embarrassment, where the government is floating billions in suspect paper just to pay its back bills,” he said Tuesday night.

Some of the Toll Road lease projects are in jeopardy of being delayed because of the current economic crisis, but not the U.S. 31 upgrade. The state broke ground last year and work is already under way near Lakeville. In the spring when the snow finally thaws much more work will start.

INDOT spokesman Joshua Bingham says the plan is still for all of U.S. 31 to be done by 2015, and adds it should shave about 30 minutes off the drive from south bend to Indianapolis.

There are some Major Moves projects that will get put on the back-burner; but they're roads that don't see nearly the traffic levels that U.S. 31 does.

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