NDOT representatives and Lochmueller Group consultants briefed the Dubois County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 17 about the Midstates Corridor27s screening of alternatives, projected travel-time savings and anticipated funding and ownership issues.

NDOT27s team explained the methodology behind the estimate of roughly 300,000 annual hours of travel-time savings across the 12-county study area: planners ran a future-year travel model (year 2050) with and without the corridor and compared net travel times for nearly one million trips in the model. "That's where those numbers are coming from," an NDOT presenter said, and staff estimated that just over half of the modeled auto-trip savings would begin or end in Dubois County.

Commissioners pressed NDOT to show how much of the model27s projected benefits would accrue to county residents rather than to through-traffic. NDOT acknowledged that the figure is a net, regional number but said earlier model runs showed about 52% of auto-trip time savings are trips with DuBois County origins or destinations.

Local officials raised financing concerns: NDOT said the project anticipates an LPA (local public agency) contribution and that a typical local match could be significant (NDOT cited a hypothetical 10% local participation range), and emphasized that in-kind contributions, phased approaches and relinquishment values (the state27s agreement to transfer roads and possibly equipment) can be part of local match discussions. "We are open to working with you and exploring various potential solutions," an NDOT representative said.

Commissioners and highway staff asked about liability and the operational costs of taking over former state routes. NDOT said discussions about relinquishment can include funding for capital projects, maintenance and donated equipment or training to support local maintenance responsibilities. NDOT also said their preliminary construction schedule shows corridor completion in Dubois County in the early 2030s, with ownership transfer occurring after construction and contract closeout.

Next steps: NDOT pledged follow-up on lane-mile allocations and specific local revenue and cost estimates, and the county will consider its ability to meet local-match commitments as NDOT provides more detailed financial scenarios.