INDOT, Steel Dynamics to partner on new US 30 interchange, overpass
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The Indiana Department of Transportation is planning to build a new interchange an overpass on U.S. 30 at Columbia City, projects that would be paid for in part by Fort Wayne-based Steel Dynamics Inc., which has a production facility nearby.
Governor Eric Holcomb said during an event Wednesday in Columbia City that the design phase for upgrading the intersection of U.S. 30 and County Road 700 East to interchange and building an overpass at County Road 600 East will begin soon. Construction could begin in 2029, officials said.
“Business is booming in northeast Indiana. Each year we’re moving 724 million tons of freight through the Hoosier state, and that number is only going to grow,” Holcomb said in a news release. “We’re working to put the necessary infrastructure in place to continue that trend both safely and efficiently, providing a competitive advantage for manufacturing and distribution here in Indiana.”
The Governor’s Office said INDOT and Steel Dynamics, one of the largest steel producers and metal recyclers in the country, will split the cost of the projects, although the state did put a price tag on either one.
Steel Dyanmics is Indiana’s fourth largest public company with $18.8 billion in revenue last year. It employs about 4,500 people in Indiana and more than 12,000 worldwide. The company has its Steel Dynamics Structural and Rail Division in Columbia City.
The highway projects will improve access for Steel Dynamics employees and trucking.
“Safety is core to our values,” said Barry Schneider, the company’s chief operating officer, in a news release distributed by the Governor’s Office. “And we welcome the opportunity to assist with the announced infrastructure plans to improve safety on U.S. 30 for our team members and community.”
INDOT is planning other improvements that will be determined by the state’s ongoing Planning and Environment Linkage study, which is known as ProPEL U.S. 30.
“This is just one example of how INDOT is partnering with businesses and in this case, one of the largest steel producers in the United States, to deliver transportation infrastructure solutions,” INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith said in the release. “Our economy relies on the efficient, reliable, safe, and secure movement of goods, materials, and services.”
INDOT will host seven public information meetings as it continues its ProPEL U.S. 30 studies along the U.S. 30 and U.S. 31 corridors. Public comments are welcome at the in-person meetings, by phone and mail through Dec. 13.
13, 2024.
Meeting Schedule:
Nov. 13, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. CST (presentation at 5:30 p.m.) at Tri-Township Schools, 309 School Drive, Wanatah
Nov. 14, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. EST (presentation at 5:30 p.m.) at Plymouth High School, 1 Big Red Drive, Plymouth
Nov. 19, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. EST (presentation at 5:30 p.m.) at Indian Springs Middle School, 1692 S. State Road 9, Columbia City
Nov. 20, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. EST (presentation at 5:30 p.m.) at Lincoln Elementary School, 203 N. Lincoln St., Warsaw
Nov. 18, 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. EST (presentation at 5:30 p.m.) at Rochester Community High School, 1645 S. Park Road, Rochester
Nov. 14, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. EST (presentation at 5:30 p.m.) at Tipton County Fairgrounds Auditorium, 1200 S. Main Street, Tipton
Nov. 19, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. EST (presentation at 5:30 p.m.) at Peru High School, 401 N. Broadway Street, Peru