In The News
Illiana Tollway Not Dead Yet
The long-planned Illiana Tollway connecting the northern parts of Illinois and Indiana might not be dead after all despite the opposition of Illinois' Department of Transportation.
In a document filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago on April 25, Indiana's Department of Transportation "agreed to fund the technical work needed to comply" with changes in the Environmental Impact Statement ordered by Judge Jorge Alonso last June.
Alonso had deemed the environmental statement filed by the two DOTs "arbitrary and capricious." The 47-mile Tollway, which would connect Interstate 65 in Indiana with Interstate 55 in Illinois, is supposed to be built on the edge of a national wildlife preserve.
"The flawed 'no-build' forecast is the foundation for the agencies' projection of future traffic in the study area and their conclusion that the existing roadways cannot adequately serve the future transportation needs," Alonso wrote.
Illinois' support for the Tollway evaporated when Republican Bruce Rauner replaced Democrat Pat Quinn in the governor's office.
"We are not pursuing the project," said IDOT spokesman Guy Trudgell. "Indiana has decided to pay for the work needed to correct the Environmental Impact Statement."
INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield added, "In the spirit of partnership, Indiana has offered to take the lead to protect the investments both states have made in the environmental documents and to keep the project in hold status. INDOT estimates this environmental work will take three or more months and will cost less than $150,000 to complete. Indiana has always been committed to the Illiana Expressway and is ready to proceed with the project once Illinois is."
The Illinois Trucking Association supports IDOT's decision not to proceed.
"The Illinois Trucking Association never supported the Illiana Tollway primarily because no one could ever provide us with the truck toll costs," said Matt Hart, executive director of the ITA. "We support the state of Illinois focusing on the critical infrastructure needs of our existing roads, reducing congestion, and adding capacity to our existing highways that carry commercial motor vehicles."
The Indiana Motor Truck Association takes the opposite position.
"Indiana continues to believe that the Illiana would be a tremendous asset when it comes to enhancing commerce into and out of the Midwest," said Gary Langston, IMTA's president. "Congestion costs the industry billions of dollars each year. Development of the Illiana would help to address that issue in an area identified by [American Transportation Research Institute] to be one of the most congested corridors in the nation.
"The relatively small cost of Indiana's recent commitment will help to protect the initial investments both states have already made and is a small price to pay to keep such an important project alive. Hopefully, the state of Illinois will eventually be in an improved financial position to allow them to resume support of the project."