Above is a draft plan released in 2021 that includes possible locations for interchanges and overpasses along US 30 near Warsaw. Artwork provided by the city of Warsaw.

By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – Two state lawmakers urged local residents to get involved in long-term planning for the revamping of US 30 into a limited-access highway.

Ryan Mishler

The proposed highway is still years from the start of construction and will eventually stretch from Valparaiso to the Ohio state line.

While nothing has been formally adopted, local officials support the idea of a new highway following the existing path of US 30 rather than rerouting the road to the north or south of Warsaw.

If it does follow the existing path, that means the route would be transformed over the next two decades with an increased reliance on a handful of new interchanges and overpasses, and the elimination of many access points that currently exist along the highway in Kosciusko County.

With that in mind, State Rep. Craig Snow and State Sen. Ryan Mishler both said Friday, April 23, they think area residents would be best served by having a voice about how frontage roads will be developed and even where interchanges will be placed.

Snow said he thinks affected property owners should start looking at and working with planners to help determine frontage road plans.

Craig Snow

Mishler said he thinks INDOT needs to adjust its approach to major highway reconstruction.

“What they need to start doing is sitting down with local businesses and develop a plan a few years in advance of when they start the project,” Mishler said.

Mishler and Snow talked about the highway plan during an online legislative update sponsored by the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.

The issue was prompted by a question from somebody concerned about the eventual construction’s impact on businesses.

Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, who heads up the multi-county US 30 Coalition, said Friday afternoon that while a draft plan has identified some locations for interchanges and overpasses, nothing has been decided.

“It’s hard to plan frontage roads until you know where the interchanges will be. It’s all gotta be hand-in-hand,” Thallemer said.

Thallemer also noted that frontage roads will be part of the INDOT plan since the state has to provide options for businesses and homeowners that would be cut off from 30.

“In some cases, they may build frontage roads first before they start construction because that will make it a little easier,” Thallemer said.

Mishler said he believes leaders with the Indiana Department of Transportation are increasingly in support of finishing work along US 31 and the proposal for US 30.

There appears to be a growing belief that construction would begin in Allen County, in part, to accommodate Amazon’s construction of a new distribution center.

From there, work would move to Whitley County and then Kosciusko County.

In another matter, Mishler and Snow both downplayed the idea of reducing the state gas tax to give motorists a break from rising fuel prices.

Indiana’s gas tax provides revenue for road repairs.

“I don’t know if I really want to do a gas holiday or anything like that,” Mishler said.

He warned that re-establishing the tax later could become a challenge.

“Once you take something away like that, it will be hard for our members to bring it back,” he said.

“As of now, I think we just want to hold tight and see how long this is going to last,” he said.

Snow said he agrees with taking a wait-and-see approach to the issue.

Along with Mishler and Snow, two other lawmakers – Sen. Blake Doriot and State Rep. Curt Nisly – were invited to participate in Friday’s online event, but did not.

For Nisly, it was the second online update hosted by the Chamber this year that he did not attend.

Asked about it Friday, Nisly said he got pulled away with a work project.

As for the first event, Nisly said he did not learn about it until afterward.