Posey County holds groundbreaking for Western Bypass, nearly 12 years in the making

POSEY COUNTY, Ind. (WEHT) -Nearly 12 years in the making, the Western Bypass has finally broken ground.

This landmark infrastructure project is going to help traffic greatly right here in Mt. Vernon.

Posey County community members and government officials witness history-  the beginning of the Western Bypass.

State Senator Jim Tomes was a truck driver for 33 years and knows first-hand how beneficial this bypass will be once completed.

Tomes says, “This will help the traffic into town and also the roads because these trucks do put a lot of weird here on the streets and now that this road once it’s completed will take that heavy traffic around it. I think it’s bloomed all the way around the city I’m happy for them. I know they’re delighted and it’s nice to see the word that Carl Schmidt had worked on for so long finally come about.”

Those who travel Givens Road, Base Road and Lower New Harmoney Road will see construction soon.

Indiana Lt. Governor Susanne Crouch says construction cones are nothing more than growing pains.

Crouch says, “I was complaining one day about all the orange cones that were on the road and boy we see a lot today and someone said to me they said don’t ever complain about orange cones because that means money is being put into the infrastructure and infrastructure drives economic development and I never forgot that and so whenever I see orange cones as we’re going to see here, I know it’s a good sign for wherever those orange cones are.”

The goal of the Western Bypass is to redirect semi-trucks, enhance road safety and reduce congestion.

Posey county Commission President Bill Collins says the project honors Carl Schmitz who got the ball running in 2012.

Collins says, “Carl Schmitz he had the foresight to talk about getting this done if you see the truck traffic go through Mount Vernon the semi-trucks there are thousands a day and this is going to alleviate most of that because most of those are going to the port or to the CGB or out to SABIC so they’ll be able to take this bypass and alleviate a lot of that not only doing away with the truck traffic it’ll open up a whole corridor for economic development.”

The project is estimated to take 2.5 years.

No exact date has been given on when construction will begin.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).