GUEST POST: Gubernatorial Candidate Voices Opposition to Proposed State Route 101 Extension

The topic was brought up as Republican candidates for the Indiana gubernatorial race debated on Monday night.

(Carmel, Ind.) – Republican candidates for the Indiana gubernatorial race debated Monday night at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. One focal point during the candidates’ opening remarks was “Link 101”—a proposed highway extension project introduced by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The highway would connect Markland Dam in Switzerland County to U.S. Route 50 in either Dearborn or Ripley County. Notably, candidate Jamie Reitenour voiced strong opposition to the project, noting that “I’ve seen the struggles in the State. Link 101 in District 9, a highway that the current administration has allotted 200 million dollars for, just to save six to eight minutes. The residents there are crying out for someone to hear them. Don’t take our homes. Don’t spend taxpayer dollars to save six to eight minutes.” Her comments underscore the attitude of thousands of Hoosiers who oppose this project for being fiscally irresponsible, an unnecessary government intrusion of private property rights, and a degradation of the aesthetic qualities of rural Indiana.

The Link 101 project was initiated in the Fall of 2022, when the Indiana Department of Transportation – under a $9 million contract – hired an outside agent to examine the feasibility of this new highway extension. According to the Link 101 website: “Link 101 is an Indiana Department of Transportation project to evaluate alternatives for an improved State Road 101 connection between the Markland Dam and US 50.” This study – conducted under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) – expects to have its “Draft Environmental Document” published by the Fall 2024. Currently, it is in the preliminary alternatives stage, for which INDOT has proposed ten alternative routes. While no final route has been selected, Governor Holcomb committed two hundred million towards this project in 2021, albeit the source of these funds and the final cost of the highway is unclear. Many residents fear that the State will have no choice but to pass the cost of this highway on to taxpayers given INDOT’s budgetary constraints.

Thousands of Hoosiers have organized to oppose this project. A large grassroots organization known as “Stop Link 101”—comprising of thousands of Indiana residents have held rallies, collected media attention, and garnered the support of numerous non-affiliated individuals, organizations, businesses, and politicians, including the Ohio County Commissioners who passed a formal resolution on October 30, 2023 opposing the project. Moreover, according to the Link 101 Public Meeting No 2 Summary: “92 percent [of public comments received] expressed opposition to the Link 101 project with specific opposition to any new terrain highway built between the Markland Dam and US 50.”

Despite the steadfast opposition to Link 101, INDOT is continuing to evaluate alternatives and expects to release a shorter list of alternatives this spring for further study. If elected, Ms. Reitenour has committed to oppose Link 101 and take all measures to terminate the project. While the future of the project remains uncertain, its fate may ultimately be in the hands of the voters who will decide the next administration and hence the future of Link 101.