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“What exactly is the Public Land Survey System?” Glad you asked. The Public ... Global Positioning Systems, or GPS,
Indiana Department of Transportation

Volume 2, Issue 2: 2nd Quarter 2017

THE SCOOP ON I-69 SECTION 6

Satellites in Space Help with Summer Survey Work on State Road 37

1834 by subdividing townships of 6 square miles into 36 sections each a mile square. In the 1800s, the corners of individual sections were generally monumented using 6- by 6-inch wood posts. Over time, those posts were replaced with stones set by county surveyors. A lot of section corners fall within existing streets, so the stones have been replaced with metal disks, railroad spikes or iron pins at the road surface. The technology used in the 1800s consisted of compasses and steel chains that were 66 feet in length. Today, surveyors often used Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, to perform measurements on the Earth by communicating with satellites in space. Sometimes surveyors need to check private land for section corners. Property owners might see one or two field crew members in fluorescent yellow vests with measuring tapes or shovels looking for monuments. Once the monument is found, the crew sketches up reference ties so that the monument can be found in the future. They then locate the monument with our surveying equipment as well.

Benefits of I-69 Section 6 *

The current survey work will last into early summer. You read the title correctly. The I-69 Section 6 survey crews are using satellites in space to establish the existing rights of way of roads and deed lines of properties adjacent to the project. This sort of survey will provide a basis for describing any new right of way that will be needed to construct I-69 Section 6.

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The satellites are assisting the survey crews to find center lines and other permanent public survey markers along the SR 37 corridor in and around Martinsville. These center lines and markers, called monumentation, were established through the Public Land Survey System. You may be asking, “What exactly is the Public Land Survey System?” Glad you asked. The Public Land Survey System was created to subdivide and describe pieces of land in the United States. The majority of Indiana was surveyed by

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*Impact to a four-county region

Mist Netting and Monitoring Bat contractors for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have been conducting mist-netting on I-69 since 2004 and 2005. Thereafter, select monitoring sites have been mist-netted depending upon construction schedules. Mist-netting is a process to capture wild birds and bats for banding or other research projects. Mist nets are typically made of nylon or polyester mesh suspended between two poles, resembling a volleyball net.

Project Manager’s Corner

also occurs for five summers after completing construction. Captured adult Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats are fitted with radio transmitters and tracked to identify roost trees. To date, more than 18,000 bats have been captured, of which Indianas bat and northern longeared bats are present in small numbers. The commitment of the project also includes tree clearing restrictions and mandatory awareness training for contractors.

Mist-netting occurs pre-construction, during construction and post-construction. The process

Testimonials While Section 6 continues to make progress along the corridor, stakeholders are bearing witness to the changes along the interstate. Some are foreshadowing the changes still to come to their region.

“INDOT has really gone out the way to engage members of our community, to be responsive to our questions and to really plan the future [with us] in mind. For me, that’s exciting. We want to leave this community in better shape.”

“As we continue to move north and south, as we work to get the bridge done as well, once that corridor is done, you’ll start to see a lot of that commerce move off of I-65 onto I-69. And we believe that has huge economic potential for the region.”

Chief Jeremy Pell White River Township Fire Department

Justin Groenert Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce

Since the release of the DEIS this spring, the majority of calls and visits to the I-69 Section 6 project office have been about real estate acquisition: Is my home/business impacted, when it will happen, what’s the process, who will be contacting me? We’re glad you are asking, because that’s why we are here: to answer your questions as thoroughly as we can at this stage in the planning process. Many of you have asked specifically about letters you’ve received from law firms offering their services, saying they’ll protect you from INDOT’s predatory real estate practices, claiming they’ll get you top dollar when INDOT lowballs you. First, let me assure you that we have not shared your information with any of these firms, or any other relocation services that you may hear from. They have access to the public project maps, they’ve looked at the right-of-way lines, and they have done their homework. If you’d like to verify the impact to your property by comparing the actual project maps with ones you may receive with a solicitation letter, go to the INDOT March 2017 Maps found at: http:// www.in.gov/indot/projects/i69/2345.htm. Select the Preferred Alternative Maps. Second, INDOT will offer fair market value for your property should it be needed to complete I-69 Section 6. Our fair market value offer will be based on professional appraisals – yours and ours – and it won’t be unreasonable. There is a federally mandated process in place, and you have rights within that process. If you have questions, I encourage you to learn more about the real estate process here: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/real_ estate/uniform_act/acquisition/real_property.cfm We’re still on track to issue the Final Environmental Impact Statement next spring, and we look forward to working with all of you as we move this project forward.

Indiana Department of Transportation I-69 Section 6 Project Office 7847 Waverly Road Martinsville, IN 46151 Phone: (317) 881-6408 Email: [email protected]

W W W. I 6 9 I N DY EV N . O R G

Project Office Hours T h e p ro je c t o ff ic e is o p e n M o n d a y t h ro u g h F r id a y, 9 a . m . t o 4 p . m . , e x c lu d in g s t a t e h o lid a y s .