Kokomo's US 31 Bypass Could Be Named For Automobile Pioneers

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) — North-central Indiana officials hope to name the U.S. 31 bypass around Kokomo in honor of the city's early automotive pioneers.

The Howard County commissioners have backed a resolution to name the 13-mile route the Haynes-Apperson Expressway.

Commissioner Paul Wyman says the naming of the bypass would help promote Kokomo's automotive heritage and its claim as home to the first successful gasoline-powered automobile. The name would honor Elwood Haynes along with Elmer and Edgar Apperson for their work during the 1890s developing early automobiles.

The Kokomo Tribune reports that local state lawmakers will seek approval for the renaming request from the General Assembly next year.

The $155 million US. 31 bypass opened in 2013 as part of a larger project upgrading U.S. 31 between Indianapolis and South Bend.