SOUTH BEND — The Conexus Indiana North Central Regional Logistics Council today released its regional logistics strategic plan that details long-term infrastructure, public policy and talent development priorities to grow the logistics industry and the economy in the seven-county region. Among those counties was Kosciusko.

According to a press release, in developing Ensuring Connection to the World, council members identified 27 infrastructure projects, as well as public policy and workforce development opportunities.

The release details the plan, which identifies road, rail, air and waterborne infrastructure projects at the regional and local levels, prioritizes those projects and outlines projected costs. The infrastructure projects, once implemented, will decrease transportation bottlenecks, increase direct rail service, increase use of regional air facilities for freight, and improve mode-to-mode connectivity.

Priority projects include the completion of the north and south bound lanes of US 31, converting US 30 to a 4-lane full access controlled freeway with interchanges at major intersections, transforming the Kingsbury Intermodal into a niche multimodal rail service yard for the distribution of cold storage commodities, completion of the Soo Locks to ease transportation of goods between Lake Superior and the steel mills and power plants that support businesses in North Central Indiana, connecting the toll road to US 30 via SR15 or CR 17 and ensuring construction of the Illiana Expressway giving better access freight access to Chicago.

The Indiana counties within the North Central region are Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, Miami and St. Joseph. The current projects are noted to be non-committed and unfunded at this time. Additional study will be required before the projects may occur.

Representative Projects And Initiatives In Kosciusko

• North Milford Truck Corridor: Extend CR 1300N from Old SR 15 to SR 15. The route will include a rail grade separation over the Norfolk Southern Railroad.
  • Reason: relieve bottle neck of combined truck and passenger car traffic through Milford creating better truck traffic flow for the movement of cargo. Create economic development access to Milford North Industrial Park.
  • Estimated Cost: $11 million.
• Western Warsaw Bypass: Design and build road access from SR 15 South to US 30 west of Warsaw. The route will include a rail grade separation, bridge and interchange at US 30.
  • Reason: Relieve bottleneck of combined truck and passenger car traffic through Warsaw, creating better truck traffic flow for the movement of cargo
  • Estimated cost: $65.9 million
• Downtown Warsaw Rail Grade Separation: Design and build a rail grade separation at Lincoln Highway and South Hickory Street in Warsaw.
  • Reason: Relieve bottle of combined truck and passenger car traffic through Warsaw creating better truck traffic flow for the movement of cargo.
  • Estimated cost: $10 million
• Alternative Western Warsaw Truck Corridor: Improve and widen CR 700S from SR 19 to SR 15.
  • Reason: Ensure the safety of trucks moving cargo creating better truck flow for the movement of cargo.
  • Estimated cost: $31.9 million
• Western Warsaw Truck Corridor: Improve and widen from US 30 on North CR 150W to Fox Farm Road South to Lincoln Highway. The route will include a new interchange at US 30.
  • Reason: Relieve the bottleneck of combined truck and passenger car traffic through Warsaw creating better truck traffic flow for the movement of cargo.
  • Estimated cost: $15.2 million

Area Representative Interstate/Highway Projects

• SR 15/CR 17: design and build an expressway corridor from I-80/90 to US 30 to relieve the combined bottleneck truck and passenger car congestion on SR 15.

Area Representative Local Road Projects

• Elkhart County: SR 15/CR 17 Connector: Improve and widen CR 38 from SR 15 to CR 17 to relieve traffic bottleneck in Goshen.
• Fulton County, North Rochester Truck Corridor: connect US 31 and SR 25 by extending CR East 200 North to relieve traffic bottleneck through Rochester.
• Marshall County, US 31 Plymouth South Truck Corridor: Convert  Michigan Road from CR 17 to US 31 from two lanes to three lanes; design and build an interchange at the new limited-access US 31 at Michigan Road to relieve traffic bottleneck through Plymouth.