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Making Indiana rural roads a priority

Indiana farmers are calling on Governor Mike Pence to invest in the state’s rural roads and bridges.

Pence unveiled his 21^st Century Crossroads plan this week which would make an additional $1 billion available to the Indiana Department of Transportation over the next 4 years to resurface 16,000 miles of state highways and repair more than 5,000 bridges.

Patrick Pfingsten, public affairs manager for Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Growers Association says farmers want to ensure rural roads and bridges are included in the Governor’s plan.  “Rural roads and bridges around the state are crumbling,” he says.  “That’s why our farmers are calling on Governor Pence and the state legislature to not only put an emphasis on state roads but to make rural roads and bridges a priority for funding.”

He tells Brownfield infrastructure is vital to Indiana’s agriculture industry.  “Nine percent of Indiana roads and bridges need significant rehabilitation or replacement,” he says.  “And another 25 percent of the bridges in the state are in need of repair.  When we have closed roads and closed bridges all across the rural communities of the state – it adds to detours for farmers who are trying to transport grain in 80,000 trucks.”

Pfingsten says fixing the state’s infrastructure problems is a long-term project that will take investment and creative thinking to find solutions.