Mount Vernon bypass project begins
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Posey County officials broke ground Monday on a bypass to reroute semi traffic around downtown Mount Vernon, a long-awaited project that is expected to ease congestion, improve roadway safety and create economic opportunities.
The Western Bypass will be built in two phases. It will connect the existing Wiliam Keck Bypass, which runs from a point north of downtown southeast to State Road 62, to a Western Bypass, which would run southwest and connect to Base Road and on to State Road 69.
The westernmost phase is expected to be completed by April 2026, at which time construction on the leg connecting to Wiliam Keck Bypass would begin.
“This is not just a great day for Posey County; it’s a game-changer,” Bill Collins, president of the Posey County board of commissioners, said in a news release about the groundbreaking ceremony. “The Western Bypass will slash truck traffic through Mt. Vernon, paving the way for vibrant economic growth and much-needed housing.”
Indianapolis-based American Structurepoint performed the engineering for the project. Blankenberger Brothers is general contractor for the first phase with a low bid of $6.98 million, the news release said.
“The Western Bypass, although being a continuation of the current Keck Bypass, is more critical in that it directly impacts our Western manufacturing facilities because of the easier access to the interstate system and the greater region,” Mt. Vernon Mayor Steve Loehr said. “From the city’s perspective, taking hundreds of commercial vehicles off our streets will directly impact the life of our infrastructure and neighborhoods, which is a win-win for everyone.”
The Western Bypass is a tribute to Carl Schmitz, a former Posey County commissioner who was instrumental in the project’s development. He died in 2021 after serving for nearly a decade on the board.