06/05/2026
Morgan County to Fund Western Truck Route with New Western TIF District.
Morgan County RDC decision will support Western Truck Route and other infrastructure improvements
MARTINSVILLE, IND. – The Morgan County Redevelopment Commission (RDC) unanimously adopted a declaratory resolution and approved an economic development plan for a new, approximate 885-acre Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district consisting primarily of Google’s project site north of SR 42 near I-70 in northern Morgan County.
For more than a decade, Morgan County’s elected officials and redevelopment commissioners have acknowledged the need for an additional truck route connecting SR 67, SR 267, and SR 42, capitalizing on opportunities provided by I-69 and I-70 in the northern part of the county.
At the June 3 meeting, County Commissioner Bryan Collier recommended developing the TIF to fund the long-discussed Western Truck Route, designed to safely get truck traffic from I-70 to SR 67. Additionally, Google has agreed to transfer ownership of its property and pay a $5 million lump sum lease to the Morgan County RDC while continuing to pay property taxes.
“As county leaders, we’re working every day to respond to the challenges SEA 1 (Senate Enrolled Act 1-2025) presents to our ability to maintain our budget, let alone construct new capital improvements like roads and streets,” Commissioner Collier said.
Last fall, the Mooresville RDC funded a study for the Western Truck Route through Banning Engineering. That study’s sole focus was to identify a way to reduce or eliminate semi-truck traffic through Mooresville’s town limits. It identified two potential routes that roughly followed Bethel Road and Bunker Hill Road that, in 2025 dollars, would cost an estimated $13.0 to $18.5 million to construct.
“The Mooresville RDC’s study clearly showed that a new truck route would improve safety and alleviate traffic congestion for a large section of northern Morgan County,” Carole Snyder, president of the Morgan County RDC, said. “The local roads in the northern portion of our county are narrow, not built to sustain truck traffic, are land-locked, have utility infrastructure at or near the right-of-way, and prevent future growth. The Western Truck Route will allow for the safe and efficient flow of traffic from I-70 and SR 39 to SR 67, and spark economic development in the area near the Google site.”
Establishing the TIF allocation area requires several steps under Indiana Code 36-7-14. The plan will next be submitted to the Morgan County Plan Commission, which must review and approve the proposal to ensure it aligns with the County’s Comprehensive Plan. If approved, it will then be presented at a meeting of the Morgan County Commissioners. After allowing the governing bodies and the public time to review the report on the projected impact and benefits to the underlying taxing units, the RDC will hold a public hearing. This will include the opportunity for citizens to provide comments. After the hearing, the RDC will consider a confirmatory resolution, which will officially establish the TIF.
If the TIF is approved, the Morgan County RDC will commission a comprehensive engineering study for the Western Truck Route, with a much broader scope and larger area of potential effect.
About the Morgan County RDC: The Morgan County RDC is a five-member body appointed by the County Commissioners and the County Council. The Morgan County RDC currently has seven TIF districts with a gross assessed value of nearly $1.15 billion[1]. Those areas generated $1.86 million in 2025, which is funding that would have not been created without TIF. Three other RDCs – the Mooresville RDC, Monrovia RDC, and Martinsville RDC – hold an additional 10 TIF districts within their jurisdictions.
