Indiana

Illinois DOT is advertising two consultant projects to conduct planning and permitting studies to build the Illiana Expressway, planned as a new east-west route in both Illinois and Indiana on the southern and southeast fringe of the Chicago metro area.  The first job is described as a Prime Consultant and the second as a Project Manager Consultant, both to work on what they call a "Tiered Environmental Impact Statement" for the 60 mile, 100km long, approx

Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois was joined by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels today in signing legislation authorizing Illinois collaboration with Indiana to build the Illiana Expressway as one or more toll concessions or P3s. The new east-west pike to the south of, but parallel to I-80/94, is planned to go from I-55 in Will County southwest of Chicago through Peotone south of Chicago, across I-57 and eastward into Indiana to I-65.

Indiana governor Mitch Daniels has signed SB382 into law allowing the state to move forward to develop toll concessions or public-private aprtnerships (P3s) for the Illiana Expressway and Ohio River bridges.

The Indiana legislature has passed enabling legislation (SB382) allowing toll concessions to be procured for construction of the Illiana Expressway in the far northwest of the state and two new toll bridges over the Ohio River in the southeast. Governor Mitch Daniels said he was "excited" saying: "This is exactly what we've been advocating a long time."

The Illiana Expressway is being pushed in the Indiana legislature as private toll concession. Bills are moving in the Indiana state legislature to allow the expressway to proceed as a toll concession. The state senate bill SB382 has been approved by the transportation committee. A similar house bill HB1312 has yet to be voted.

It is now almost six years (2003-09-03) since a federal 'record of decision' (ROD) was issued signifying completion of all the environmental and planning permissions for the $4.1b Ohio River Bridges project in the Louisville Kentucky/ southern Indiana area.

The Indiana Toll Road Concession Company now expects to have electronic tolling (ET) fully operational by April this year. That will be five or six months behind the initial plan which was to have the job complete toward the end of 2007. But it should be well before June 29 2008, the date by which electronic tolling is contractually required under the term of the concession with the state.

Indiana Toll Road Concession Company (ITRCC) has opened the first stretch of widened roadway - 2.8km (1.8 miles) - at the eastern end of a stretch of 16km (10 miles) being widened with a third travel lane plus inside shoulder each direction.