Southwest Indiana needs improved highway system

In all the furor over I-69, backers and opponents of a new terrain route seem to have lost sight of one basic fact, and that is that residents of Southwest Indiana badly need a safe and convenient four-lane highway to their state university and on to the state capitol. Practically speaking, it doesn't really matter if it is I-69 or an upgrade of an existing two-lane highway.\nAll we really need is a four-lane highway to Bedford, since Indiana 37 is already four-lane passing by the western outskirts of Bloomington. To get to Bedford from the northern end of the Interstate 164 spur, the state would need to four-lane about 85 miles of existing two-lane highway via U.S. 57 and U.S. 50 through Petersburg, Washington and Loogootee.\nAn even shorter route would require only about 66 miles of new four-lane over the existing two-lane routings of U.S. 231 and U.S. 50 through Huntingburg, Jasper and Loogootee to Bedford, utilizing Interstate 64 as part of that route.\nI am afraid that Interstate 69 has polarized people into opposing camps, and they are arguing about all the wrong issues. Economic development along the highway corridor should not be the primary consideration for a highway's route. Safety and travel distance should be our first concern.\nI find it hard to believe that a state surplus as big as Indiana's cannot build 55 miles of four-lane highway, especially when it is just now completing at least that much four-lane on U.S. 24 from Huntington to Lafayette.\nAs for the attitude of the Indianapolis Star and some upstate politicians, we shouldn't really be surprised that they figure any highway improvement into southwest Indiana is a "highway to nowhere." That attitude hasn't changed in over 150 years.