Long Road: Guv Plows Ahead With Illiana Expressway, Private Toll Roads

The Times of Northwest Indiana Times checks in with a story about the Guv's pending proposal to build the Illiana Expressway as new private toll road:

"A joint Indiana-Illinois feasibility study for the llliana Expressway is just getting underway. Gov. Daniels hopes to have the study completed in three years time. He also hopes to have a private partner on board and ready to build by that time.

"Poole said the state has 'a shot at making that kind of aggressive schedule,' but that obtaining all environmental clearances in just three years time will not be easy.

"In Northwest Indiana, many people assume that there will be enough demand for the road to entice private investors. But the recent experiences in Oregon show that is never a given.

"What seems to be a given is that states are running out of money to build new expressways.

"Tolls and gasoline taxes currently only pay about 64 percent of the cost of new road construction, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation study.

"Foote said that if government doesn't have the stomach to raise the gas tax or tolls on its own, then private tollways may in many cases be the only alternative.

"But 'push-back' from citizens in Texas and other states, is giving some politicians second thoughts about the wisdom of building private toll roads.

"Others see no way to avoid the trend, given constraints on federal, state and local treasuries. They also see the new private roads one of the fairest ways to pay for new construction, since it is only users who pay the toll.

"'For significant new capacity, it's either a toll road or no road,' Poole said."

Comments

The main purpose of the Illiana would be to divert truck traffic heading west past Chicago away from Chicago.

But I think there's another way the Illiana can be built without having to worry about being within 10 miles of the ITR. Instead of tying into the ITR at Michigan City, the Illiana could come into Indiana along US-30, then end at US-31 in Plymouth. Traffic would then have the option of following the new US-31 freeway north to the ITR, or continue east on US-30 to Fort Wayne.

Because US-31 is a freeway around South Bend, it's already grandfathered into the ITR lease, and the area where the freeway would be extended is outside the 10-mile buffer.

In the interest of accuracy (please do not mistake as support for another toll-road): The lease requires the state to compensate the company if it opens a new interstate quality highway that is longer than 20-miles within 10-miles of the Indiana Toll Road.

General rule of law would provide that the compensation would be calculated based on volume/tolls lost due to new road (both sides would present impact studies on this I'm sure).

Given the proposed route of the Illiana toll road it seems likely that it would have some draining effect on tolls for the existing road, but not an overwhelming impact since it would not be an efficient alternative for traffic destined to/from Chicago.

[D.P.]

It's certainly not a kosher way of doing things if they're going to not have at least a competitive bidding process on the new highway.

Now I know that Illinois is extending the I-355 Tollway right in the area where the Illiana is supposed to go on their side of the border. Sounds to me like Illinois is better off just tying I-355 into the Illiana at the state line, and keep their side under state control.

Well...it doesn't matter what political party a politician's from. They all think they're above the law. Republican, Democrat...it's all the same crap.

My wafe always says to me that we need to get a good Catholic woman as President and just go in and clean house.

[Second City]

Easy. It is a done deal to give to the present operator of the ITR.

Besides, when do any Republicans care about following the law?

[D.P.]

Still the question I have...How will the Illiana be built if there's a clause in the ITR lease forbidding any new expressways (free or toll) within 10 miles of the ITR?

I suppose much of it could be built outside the 10-mile range, but for the Illiana to work as planned, it'll more than likely have to tie into the ITR, let alone come within 10 miles of it. How does Mitch get around that one?