The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) have reached an agreement on how to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the proposed Illiana Corridor project.
IDOT and the IFA/ INDOT will each procure their individual sections of the 47-mile access controlled highway that would extend from I-65 in Indiana to I-55 in Illinois. Both states will use their respective Public-Private Partnership laws to enter into a long-term concession agreement to develop and build the expressway.
Each state expects to issue a Request for Qualifications this fall for private firms who are interested in the project. This will include information about the upcoming Requests for Proposals for the Illiana, as well as the project's expected commercial and financial timing.
The two states will continue to work together to coordinate schedules, technical provisions and tolling operations. They will also continue to coordinate under the National Environmental Policy Act as required by the federal government.
IDOT and the IFA/INDOT plan to begin construction on the Illiana in the spring of 2015. When built, the Illiana Corridor Project will reduce truck traffic on local roads, improving safety, travel times and access to jobs. Beyond the regional benefits for freight and intermodal connections, the Illiana Corridor will provide an opportunity for jobs and economic development. Potential benefits include the creation of more than 9,000 construction jobs and access to more than 28,000 long-term jobs.
