Kokomo Tribune; Kokomo, Indiana

September 9, 2009

Project will set a logical link


Stopping in Camden, Ind. 75 has never made the logical link it should have made with Ind. 25 at Burrows in Carroll County.

That failure, however, appears to be on the way to being with the planned Hoosier Heartland highway.

Presented with six options by the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on an option that should result in no cost to the county.

The commissioners chose the fifth option, which provides an entry on 900 North and 100 East. That option allows Liberty Township firefighters access to the highway from the north.

The original plans INDOT presented had just the 100 East interchange.

Commissioner Pat Clawson believes commissioners made the economical choice for the county. One of the six options could have cost Carroll County $1.5 million.

The second connection with the Hoosier Heartland Corridor could also provide for integral infrastructure upgrades that could result in economic benefits for that area of Carroll County. The town of Camden might extend water and sewer service to Burrows and a railway connection is also possible.

The commissioners’ recommendation now goes to INDOT, which needed the proposal to meet a deadline for incorporating Carroll County’s wishes into the final plans for the limited-access highway.

The project spells good news not only for Camden but for other communities that will now have greater access to the four-lane link between interstates 65 and 69.

The Heartland will be a big boost to the regional economy, and now more communities will share in the benefits.



– Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, and Kokomo Tribune