The groundbreaking on the property of Todd and Deanna Galloway of Lakeville is the first part of the $418 million project in Marshall and St. Joseph counties. Grading and soil mitigation between U.S. 6 and S.R. 4 will be the first part of the project with construction on the roadway to begin in 2010.
“We are determined to take control of our future and become a manufacturing center and a star economically,” said Daniels. “I can only imagine what you are feeling right now after all the decades of work that’s been put into this project that many of you probably thought would never happen.”
Todd Galloway, owner of a portion of property that was acquired by the state for the project and the host of the groundbreaking, said that the decision for he and his family on giving up their land was a simple one.
“We have to get business moving,” he said. “We have to stimulate the economy, and there were mixed feelings, but the acquisition process and the offer the state made was very, very fair.”
In the stretch of approximately 20 miles in the corridor between Plymouth and South Bend, 15 miles will be constructed on new terrain. Once complete the area will have access to the freeway only at interchanges.
Construction is expected to be complete in 2015.
“We’ve brought 600 businesses to Indiana in the last three and a half years,” said Daniels. “One of the top reasons companies give us is transportation infrastructure. This will put is in position for jobs that will come in the future.”