Dubois County lowers speed limits near Crossvine Solar construction zone

Drivers moving through the Crossvine Solar construction area will have to slow down to 35 mph on roads that were posted at 45 mph after Dubois County commissioners unanimously approved temporary speed-limit cuts in response to resident complaints about traffic and safety near the project west of the Huntingburg Regional Airport.

The change affects multiple roads in the Crossvine area, including 500 West, Old Road 64 and 750 AA, the same road network the county tied to a road-use agreement with Crossvine Solar 1, LLC on March 18, 2024. Commissioners later approved a decommissioning plan agreement and commercial solar energy permit on May 20, 2024, as the project continued to move forward.

Crossvine has been one of the county’s most watched developments since Crossvine Solar 1, LLC filed its petition with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on Nov. 6, 2023. An order from the commission describes the proposal as a solar photovoltaic electric generation facility paired with a 340-megawatt-hour direct-current battery energy storage system in Dubois County.

AES says the planned facility is expected to create jobs, build community partnerships, generate revenue for local governments and schools, and protect the environment. The company has also said Crossvine could supply enough electricity for about 14,500 homes and be completed around mid-2027. County Engineer Levi Leffert told commissioners in 2025 that construction was expected to begin in early 2026 and that community engagement sessions would be held.

But the project has drawn more than development support and planning paperwork. Nearby residents have raised concerns about traffic, the battery energy storage system, safety and communication from AES, especially because the site sits west of the airport area and close to daily travel routes. The temporary lower speeds signal that county officials are treating construction traffic as a real public-safety issue, not just a nuisance. For now, the county’s clearest answer is a slower ride through the Crossvine corridor as the project moves deeper into construction.