Illiana Expressway
Encyclopedia
The Illiana Corridor is a proposed transportation corridor between northern portions of the U.S. state
s of Illinois
and Indiana
. Formal Environmental Impact Statement
studies were begun in April 2011 and are being led jointly by the Illinois Department of Transportation
and Indiana Department of Transportation
. It is expected to be approximately 50 miles (80 km) in length; 10 miles (16 km) in Indiana, and 40 miles (64 km) in Illinois. The original Illiana Toll Road proposal continued the highway east of I-65 for another 40 miles (64 km), passing through Valparaiso before turning northeast and terminating at I-94 near Michigan City. There is little public support for the section east of I-65. Additionally, the Indiana Toll Road Lease Deal forbids construction of any competing freeway within 10 miles (16 km) of the Indiana Toll Road
; the original Illiana routing would have intersected the Indiana Toll Road south of Michigan City in violation of the ITR lease agreement. Due to these factors, the Illiana Toll Road will not be built east of Interstate 65
.
As proposed in the current Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement study, the corridor is expected to run from Interstate 55
in Illinois to Interstate 65
in Indiana. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
earlier had proposed running the Illiana Toll Road east of I-65, southeast of Valparaiso, Indiana
and Westville, Indiana
, with its terminus south of Michigan City, Indiana
at Interstate 94
, but scaled back that plan after local opposition. It is now planned to start at Interstate 65 and continue west into Illinois, through an area where it has more public support.
Shortly after the Illiana Toll Road was announced, a group of citizens organized the opposition group Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Toll Road (CAPIT).
Daniels wrote a letter to lawmakers explaining changes to the Illiana Toll Road proposal:
opened five years later, on April 16, 1958. With the newly opened Indiana Toll Road
, the Skyway and Toll Road became part of a second coast-to-coast Interstate highway, as Interstate 90 ran through city of Chicago proper.
The Skyway-Toll Road combination paralleled the shoreline of Lake Michigan
, and was a popular road until the Dan Ryan Expressway
opened in 1962, with Interstate 94 providing a free route from Chicago to northwestern Indiana. For a brief time in the 1970s and 1980s, the city of Chicago considered tearing down the Skyway because of escalating maintenance costs and falling traffic volumes.
All of the expressways were predated in the 1920s and 1930s by a host of numbered U.S. Highways and other arterial routes. The Dunes Highway
, which later became U.S. Route 12
, proved to be the busiest road between Chicago and Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s. The Dunes Relief Road
, which became U.S. Route 20
, was built to draw traffic off the Dunes Highway. Both were supplanted by I-94 when it was completed from Detroit to Chicago. U.S. 6, originally Ridge Road through Highland
and Munster, Indiana
, was routed onto the new expressway. U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway
), running about 5 miles (8 km) south of I-80/94, was routed through Dyer
and Merrillville
.
With the increase in truck traffic over time, all of the east–west expressways and arterials are expected to reach current levels of congestion in 15 years – even with the current reconstruction of the Borman and Kingery expressways. Construction of the Illiana Toll Road is expected to reduce truck traffic on U.S. 30 by 59 percent, and on I-80/94 by 22 percent.
As of June 9, 2010, governors Pat Quinn
of Illinois
and Mitch Daniels
of Indiana
have brought the project to life. A bill was signed, SB3659, that will incorporate states partnering with private groups to plan, build, and maintain the proposed expressway. The Illinois Department of Transportation had three proposed alternative route locations in its Final Report published on April 30, 2010; however, the current study is looking at eight primary routes with several potential connecting points.http://www.dot.state.il.us/Illiana/finalreport.pdf
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Formal Environmental Impact Statement
Environmental impact statement
An environmental impact statement , under United States environmental law, is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making...
studies were begun in April 2011 and are being led jointly by the Illinois Department of Transportation
Illinois Department of Transportation
The Illinois Department of Transportation is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel tax and federal funding to local juridictions in the...
and Indiana Department of Transportation
Indiana Department of Transportation
The Indiana Department of Transportation is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining and regulating transportation and transportation related infrastructure such as state owned airports, state highways and state owned canals or railroads.-Districts:INDOT is...
. It is expected to be approximately 50 miles (80 km) in length; 10 miles (16 km) in Indiana, and 40 miles (64 km) in Illinois. The original Illiana Toll Road proposal continued the highway east of I-65 for another 40 miles (64 km), passing through Valparaiso before turning northeast and terminating at I-94 near Michigan City. There is little public support for the section east of I-65. Additionally, the Indiana Toll Road Lease Deal forbids construction of any competing freeway within 10 miles (16 km) of the Indiana Toll Road
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
; the original Illiana routing would have intersected the Indiana Toll Road south of Michigan City in violation of the ITR lease agreement. Due to these factors, the Illiana Toll Road will not be built east of Interstate 65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
.
As proposed in the current Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement study, the corridor is expected to run from Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
in Illinois to Interstate 65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
in Indiana. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...
earlier had proposed running the Illiana Toll Road east of I-65, southeast of Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:...
and Westville, Indiana
Westville, Indiana
Westville is a town in New Durham Township, LaPorte County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,853 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Michigan City, Indiana-La Porte, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, with its terminus south of Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
at Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
, but scaled back that plan after local opposition. It is now planned to start at Interstate 65 and continue west into Illinois, through an area where it has more public support.
Shortly after the Illiana Toll Road was announced, a group of citizens organized the opposition group Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Toll Road (CAPIT).
Daniels wrote a letter to lawmakers explaining changes to the Illiana Toll Road proposal:
History
The Illiana Toll Road would become the third east–west expressway to connect northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana. In 1953, the Kingery-Borman expressway combination opened. Subsequently a part of Interstate 80, this route would become part of one of the most important coast-to-coast Interstate highways in the United States. The Chicago SkywayChicago Skyway
The Chicago Skyway, also known as Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge System, is a toll road in Chicago, Illinois, United States, carrying Interstate 90 from the Indiana Toll Road to the Dan Ryan Expressway on Chicago's South Side leading into the Chicago Loop....
opened five years later, on April 16, 1958. With the newly opened Indiana Toll Road
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
, the Skyway and Toll Road became part of a second coast-to-coast Interstate highway, as Interstate 90 ran through city of Chicago proper.
The Skyway-Toll Road combination paralleled the shoreline of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, and was a popular road until the Dan Ryan Expressway
Dan Ryan Expressway
The Dan Ryan is an expressway in the city of Chicago that runs from the Circle Interchange with I-290 near downtown Chicago through the South Side of the city. It is designated as both Interstate 94 and Interstate 90 south to 66th Street, a distance of...
opened in 1962, with Interstate 94 providing a free route from Chicago to northwestern Indiana. For a brief time in the 1970s and 1980s, the city of Chicago considered tearing down the Skyway because of escalating maintenance costs and falling traffic volumes.
All of the expressways were predated in the 1920s and 1930s by a host of numbered U.S. Highways and other arterial routes. The Dunes Highway
U.S. Route 12 in Indiana
In the U.S. state of Indiana, U.S. Route 12 is a historical east–west arterial highway that runs along the Lake Michigan shoreline. In the early 1920s, it was the most important route between Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan. Most of the route has since been supplanted by Interstate 94...
, which later became U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 12 or US 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Washington, to downtown Detroit, for almost . As a thoroughfare, it has mostly been supplanted by I-90 and I-94, but remains an important road for local travel.The...
, proved to be the busiest road between Chicago and Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s. The Dunes Relief Road
U.S. Route 20 in Indiana
U.S. Route 20 in Indiana is a main east–west highway that is parallel to the Indiana Toll Road. The western terminus of US 20 is at the Illinois state line and the eastern terminus is at the Ohio state line. US 20 through Whiting, East Chicago, and Gary is concurrent with...
, which became U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
, was built to draw traffic off the Dunes Highway. Both were supplanted by I-94 when it was completed from Detroit to Chicago. U.S. 6, originally Ridge Road through Highland
Highland, Lake County, Indiana
Highland is a town in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 23,727 at the 2010 census. The town was incorporated on April 4, 1910...
and Munster, Indiana
Munster, Indiana
Munster is a town located in North Township, Lake County, in Northwest Indiana in the United States. This bedroom community lies in the Chicago metropolitan area, approximately southeast of the Chicago Loop, and shares municipal boundaries with Hammond to the north, Highland to the east, Dyer and...
, was routed onto the new expressway. U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
), running about 5 miles (8 km) south of I-80/94, was routed through Dyer
Dyer, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,390 people residing in the town. The population density was 2,731.67 people per square mile . There were 6,125 housing units at an average density of 1,020.83 per square mile...
and Merrillville
Merrillville, Indiana
Merrillville is a town in Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 35,246 at the 2010 census. Merrillville is located in the east-central portion of Lake County.-Geography:Merrillville is located at ....
.
With the increase in truck traffic over time, all of the east–west expressways and arterials are expected to reach current levels of congestion in 15 years – even with the current reconstruction of the Borman and Kingery expressways. Construction of the Illiana Toll Road is expected to reduce truck traffic on U.S. 30 by 59 percent, and on I-80/94 by 22 percent.
As of June 9, 2010, governors Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (politician)
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Mitch Daniels
Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...
of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
have brought the project to life. A bill was signed, SB3659, that will incorporate states partnering with private groups to plan, build, and maintain the proposed expressway. The Illinois Department of Transportation had three proposed alternative route locations in its Final Report published on April 30, 2010; however, the current study is looking at eight primary routes with several potential connecting points.http://www.dot.state.il.us/Illiana/finalreport.pdf
External links
- http://www.illianacorridor.org - official website for the Illiana Corridor study led by Illinois Department of Transportation and Indiana Department of Transportation.
- http://www.dot.state.il.us/Illiana/default.html - Illinois Department of Transportation website for the Illiana Expressway.
- Illiana Expressway? - A weblog offering news, opinion and commentary about the Illiana Toll Road project.
- http://www.illianacorridor.org/pdfs/illianaround1_alternatives%20combined.pdf Stakeholder Alternatives Summary for the Illiana Corridor