Indiana DOT is leading study and permitting for a 101km (63mi) tollroad on the southern and southeastern periphery of the greater Chicago area. It would connect I-57 near Peotone IL with Lowell IN near I-65 with Valpariso IN on US30 with the Indiana Toll Road near Westville with the I-94 at Michigan City.

As presented 80km (50mi) is in Indiana and only 21km (13mi) is in Illinois.

Possible connector to the southern end of I-355 at I-80 to I-57

The Illinois Tollway is presently constructing the I-355 extension a 20km (12.5mi) 2x3 lane tollroad from I-55 to I-80, and it would be logical to build a 26km (16mi)connector between I-80 and I-57 south of Frankfort to provide a continuous kind of outer beltway around the south and west of the 8m population metro area of Chicago. However this would be entirely in Illinois and the impetus for the Illiana Expresswsay comes at this point from Indiana.

The announcement Dec 12 said the two state DOTs have agreed to a study of the IL/I-57 IL to IN/I-94 route. Long known by the awkward neologism the Illiana Expressway would be a full expressway of interstate standard and built with private funds and operated under contract as a tollroad concession, according to the statement by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Oddly neither Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich nor the Illinois DOT have made any statement on the agreement.

Indiana's statement says: "After selecting an engineering firm for the project, engineers will perform a full-scale environmental impact analysis and identify a final highway alignment. The bi-state study, estimated to cost between $5 million and $10 million, is expected to take no more than three years to complete. INDOT will be the lead agency, and the two states will share the cost of the study. State and federal approval are needed before construction could begin."

A freight highway

Addressing freight movement is a major objective of the project. Rail yards in the Chicago area feed a large number of trucks using the current highway system. In Indiana, the Borman Expressway (I-80/94) is the state's second busiest highway and up to half of the traffic is tractor trailers.

The Borman is one of America's most heavily 'trucked' routes along with the western portion of the I-285 perimeter in Atlanta and the New Jersey Turnpike.

The current expansion of the Borman Expressway to 2x4 lanes plus collectors is described as the last because available right of way will be used. INDOT estimates the I-80/94 expansion will handle traffic growth for about 15 years.

It says the number of trucks that use the Borman each is expected to increase by 50% in the next 20 years from 28k/day to 42k/day.

300k vehicles travel between Indiana and Chicago each day on the Borman I-80/94, US6, US30, the Indiana Toll Road and local streets.

The metropolitan planning organization for Northwest Indiana estimates that the Illiana Expressway would reduce truck traffic on US30 by 59% and on the Borman by 22%.

Competition with I-80/94 and US30

The Illiana Expressway seems most likely to compete for traffic with the I-80/94 Borman and US30. The Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90)/Chicago Skyway (I-90) heads into downtown and nearside Chicago where there is a decreasing share of the region's warehousing and rail-truck transfers. These are reorienting themselves to the outskirts better served by the Tristate Tollway I-294 and North-South I-355 Tollway.

TOLLROADSnews 2006-12-14