The next phase of preparation for a new interstate on the west side of Johnson County will begin as early as this fall as state workers begin appraising and purchasing properties.
The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to purchase portions of up to 170 properties in Johnson County as part of the long-planned construction of Interstate 69 along State Road 37, which will include relocating about 60 homes and businesses.
State workers began initial discussions with property owners this spring. The process of appraising and purchasing properties in Johnson County will begin as soon as this fall and last about nine months. Workers will start on the south end of State Road 37 and go north to County Line Road, said Sanda Flum, a project manager for the transportation department.
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Construction on the final section of I-69, a $1.5 billion project from Martinsville to Indianapolis, is set to begin in early 2019 with work in the Martinsville area on new access roads and overpasses. Work on the new interstate itself is set to begin early 2020, state transportation department spokesperson Andrew Dietrick said.
A timeline hasn’t been set for when construction will begin in Johnson County, Dietrick said.
Since this spring, state workers have been meeting individually with property owners along State Road 37, a process that will continue through the summer, Flum said.
During those meetings, state workers go over the current plans for I-69, showing property owners how much of their land would need to be purchased to make way for the project. They also gather information about the property, such as the location of wells or septic tanks, which they would seek to avoid removing, if possible, Flum said.
Before the transportation department can begin purchasing properties, the final construction documents, which will detail the precise boundaries of the project, will need to be completed. Work on those documents is set to begin in July, Dietrick said.
As part of the process, an appraiser will call property owners to set up an appointment. The appraiser will visit the property and review it, giving the owner an offer within 60 days.
Once an offer has been made, the owner will have 30 days to decide whether or not they want to accept it. If they disagree with the appraisal amount, they can make a counteroffer and provide additional information about why they believe the offer should be higher, Flum said.
If a homeowner refuses to sell, the state transportation department would seek to use eminent domain to allow them to purchase the property, which is a court action used to force property owners to sell when a public project is planned.
That step is necessary because each piece of land will be essential to the construction of the new highway, Flum said.
For property owners that may be required to relocate because homes or buildings will have to be torn down or because they will lose access to their property due to the construction of the new interstate, the state is recommending they continue to use the properties and not immediately move, Flum said.
That’s because the state will only provide relocation assistance, which could include financial help with moving expenses as well as assisting with finding a comparable location to move to, for properties that are still in use when the purchasing process begins, she said.
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The Indiana Department of Transportation is preparing to begin purchasing land in Johnson County for the construction of Interstate 69, along State Road 37. The plan is to begin the process of properties as early as this fall.
One-on-one meetings
State workers are meeting one-on-one with property owners along State Road 37 whose land may be needed for the construction of I-69. These meetings began this spring and will continue through the summer.
Appraisals
Property owners will receive a call from an appraiser to set up an appointment. The appraiser will visit the property and review it, giving the property owner an offer within 60 days.
Purchase offer
Once a property owner has received an offer, they can accept it as is, work to negotiate a different amount or refuse the offer. If an owner refuses to sell, the state will begin condemnation proceedings 30 days after the offer has been made to purchase the property through eminent domain, which is a court process that requires property owners to sell for a public project.
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