State buying houses for central Indiana US 31 upgrades

TIPTON, Ind. (AP) - The state highway department has been buying houses along U.S. 31 in central Indiana's Tipton County ahead of plans for making it into a limited-access highway.

Property records show the agency has bought 12 properties totaling more than 17 acres over the past year between Indiana 28 and the Tipton-Howard county line.

Highway department spokeswoman Mallory Duncan tells The Kokomo Tribune that properties are being purchased as they go up for sale. She says the purchases will reduce the number of vehicles turning onto U.S. 31 from driveways.

State officials are planning to install new interchanges at some current intersections where they are stoplights between South Bend and the northern suburbs of Indianapolis.

Duncan says the department doesn't have a timeline for the projects.

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com