JASPER – A Dubois County judge has ruled in favor of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), granting the agency access to dozens of properties for survey work related to the controversial Mid-States Corridor project.
The decision by Judge Nathan Verkamp, issued on May 16, 2025, follows INDOT’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, directly affecting property owners who had previously denied surveyors entry.
The court’s ruling asserts that Indiana law grants the state permission to access private land for survey purposes and that residents cannot obstruct these activities. This includes tasks such as soil testing and archaeological digs, which are deemed necessary for transportation planning.
INDOT argued that residents denied their teams access and threatened their safety. Conversely, residents maintained they were not threatening and wanted INDOT to adhere to proper procedures.
The ruling stems from a legal standard that permits injunctions when actions violate state law and public interest, negating the need for INDOT to demonstrate harm or hardship. The judge determined that INDOT had met this required legal threshold.
The issue has drawn significant community opposition, with over one hundred residents and property owners attending a rally outside the county courthouse last week before pleading their case inside. Opponents of the project contend that the proposed corridor will destroy a portion of southern Indiana’s valuable farmland.
Attorneys Wesley Garrett and Russel Sipes represented most of the parties during the May 14 hearing, though some defendants chose to represent themselves. Several of the people named in the case were not present.
Another court hearing is scheduled for July 2, where INDOT will seek a preliminary injunction from the court.
