Source: Daniels to speak on Illiana Expressway

TRANSPORTATION: Proposed route pending for south Lake County highway

Times Staff Report

Gov. Mitch Daniels is expected to formally announce today that Indiana and Illinois will study construction of the Illiana Expressway.

Daniels is expected to discuss a "memorandum of understanding" between the states that will have Indiana take the lead on an initial corridor planning study for the route. The memorandum between the states was signed in November.

A source familiar with the Illiana plans also said legislation soon could be pending in the General Assembly to define a route for the east-west expressway that would link Interstate 57 in Illinois with Interstate 65, the Indiana Toll Road and Interstate 94 in Michigan City.

The potential road long has been viewed as a congestion-relief valve for the Borman Expressway and other crowded region thoroughfares.

For years, transportation planners have spoken of a south Lake County expressway connecting Interstate 57 in Illinois with Interstate 65 in Indiana. But a lack of a designated right of way for such a road has had transportation planners lamenting that development in south Lake County soon could make such a passage impossible.

A map provided to The Times on Monday shows a proposed route heading east from Interstate 57 through Will County in Illinois, running between Cedar Lake and Lowell, then crossing Interstate 65 and curving northward through Porter and LaPorte counties to Interstate 94 at Michigan City.

Already, a portion of the expressway exists in the form of Interstate 355 that begins at Schaumburg northwest of Chicago with an extension under construction to link to Interstate 80 near Joliet. Illinois plans to extend the route to I-57 and is joining Indiana in planning the leg that crosses the state line to link to I-65.

Daniels is expected to address the Hammond Rotary Club today regarding the expressway, sources said Monday.

The issue of whether the Illiana Expressway will be a state road or built as a public-private partnership most likely will be decided after the initial studies are completed, sources close to the planning said.

It is expected that "corridor legislation" allowing Indiana to designate and lock in the route of the Illiana Expressway within Indiana will be introduced to the Indiana General Assembly in its 2007 session.

State Sen. Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, said she was not aware of such a legislative effort, but the veteran lawmaker has been working to promote the Illiana Expressway.

Landske said she had lunch last week with state Transportation Commissioner Karl Browning. And the senator arranged for Cedar Lake town officials to discuss the road with Browning on Wednesday.

Daniels announced in November a proposal to build a tollway around the eastern edge of Indianapolis to link existing Interstate 69 to an extension of that route southwest of the city.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mitch Daniels said Tuesday that Indiana and Illinois have signed an agreement to study potential locations for a new highway that would run between Interstate 94 in Indiana and Interstate 57 in Illinois.

Daniels said the Indiana portion of the so-called Illiana Expressway would be built with private funds and be operated as a toll road. He said it would help relieve traffic congestion in northwest Indiana and the Chicago area, particularly along I-80/94.

The study will cost between $5 million and $10 million and take no more than three years to complete.


The highway would be approximately 63 miles long, with about 50 miles in Indiana. It would connect with I-94 and the Indiana Toll Road south of Michigan City and run south of Crown Point.

Illiana Expressway hearing announced

From Staff Reports

State Rep. Tom Dermody, R-LaPorte, on Wednesday said a public hearing will be held in LaPorte with representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation about a proposal by Gov. Mitch Daniels to build an Illiana Expressway through LaPorte County.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Civic Auditorium, 1001 Ridge St.

“It's very important our voices are heard and this is the first step,” said Dermody. “We must work together to instruct INDOT on the chief concerns of our community regarding this project.”

Dermody said INDOT will share information on the proposal, including the authorization to transfer the public-private partnership authority from the Interstate 69 Evansville-to-Indianapolis project to the Commerce Connector in Central Indiana and the Illiana Expressway in Northwest Indiana.

In addition to the hearing in LaPorte, similar public forums will be held at 9 a.m. at St. Anthony Medical Center in Crown Point, and at noon at The Christopher Center at Valparaiso University.
“Gov. Daniels feels it is important for the administration to visit each community and hear what Hoosiers have to say,” said Karl B. Browning, INDOT Commissioner. “Our focus will be to listen and learn from our community visits, share details of the proposed transportation initiatives and answer questions.”

The proposed Illiana Expressway would connect Interstate 55 in Illinois to Interstate 94 in LaPorte County by cutting across southern Lake and Porter counties, and through southern LaPorte County before heading north, parallel to U.S. 421 just east of Westville.

Pros, cons of Illiana project mulled

By Amanda Haverstick, The News-Dispatch


LaPORTE - LaPorte County residents voiced concern, opposition and offered suggestions at Saturday's public hearing on a proposed expressway that would cut through the county.

The Illiana Expressway would connect Interstate 57 in Illinois to Interstate 94 in LaPorte County by cutting across 60 miles of southern Lake and Porter counties, through southern LaPorte County before heading north, parallel to U.S. 421 just east of Westville.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has held a number of hearings, including Saturday's at LaPorte Civic Auditorium, to gauge public opinion on the expressway.

Many farm owners present expressed concern the project would take a lot of farms in the study area out of production.

“That's some of the prime agricultural land in this country. One of these days in this country, we've got to wise up,” Clinton Township resident Bruce Nagel said. “Who's going to feed our population and who's going to feed our animals? I don't oppose having a highway, I oppose having it right here.”

New Durham Township farmer Mike Weaver said no matter where the expressway is put, no one wants it in their back yard.

“You should be really concerned about what this is going do to your livelihood,” Weaver told the audience. “No one wants to lose their house for a road. You folks need to realize you cannot eat concrete.”

Mike Seitz, Greater LaPorte Chamber of Commerce president, said the chamber supports exploring an Illiana Expressway.

“Future road development in the state of Indiana, because of the cost, is going to have to go into a public-private partnership,” Seitz said. “Infrastructure is the key to future economic development ... which means jobs.”

LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris said one of his major concerns is the map of the proposed study area.

“I know it's conceptual, but people look at that map and they think that's where it's going to be,” he said.

Seitz and Morris said they would like the expressway built east of LaPorte.

“It sure would be nice if we could get that road moved to the east,” Seitz said. “The chamber has always supported a bypass that would take all that truck traffic coming out of South Bend and Michigan and divert it around LaPorte.”

Morris also asked that a corridor-protection provision be considered in the legislation.

“Once it's put in the most desirable location, (it needs to be) protected so we won't have to move it further in another direction and more adversely affect the agricultural community,” Morris said.

LaPorte County Commissioner Barb Huston said while she is a proponent of economic development, she doesn't see the need for this particular corridor.

“We have several roadways that go through LaPorte County that take up a lot of our farmland,” she said. “The intermodal is proposing taking 5,000 acres or more south of U.S. 6.”

Like many others president, Huston advised making U.S. 421 four lanes or consider implementing the railroads.

“It's been a highway that's been used off I-94 and I-80/90 for many years. Improve the state roads we have,” Houston said. “We have lots of railroads going through this county. Because of gas prices, more and more companies are putting their trucks (on trains).”

Farm owner Jeanne Howell, Wanatah, offered a number of alternatives to an expressway.

“I'd like to ask consideration of anyone who has farm property that is especially close to the family,” Howell said. “We should take a look at rail, water, bridges, tunnels ... let's take a look.”

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Contact reporter Amanda Haverstick at ahaverstick@thenewsdispatch.com.

NIRPC and Forum: Illiana route search comes first
Groups stop short of Daniels plan, for now
From Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:17 AM CST Email this story Print this story
BY KEITH BENMAN
kbenman@nwitimes.com
219.933.3326

PORTAGE | Two leading development groups on Monday endorsed important first steps in getting the Illiana Expressway built, but stopped short of giving blanket approval to the governor's drive to make it a private toll road.

The Northwest Indiana Forum and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission both endorsed legislation that would authorize a feasibility study and corridor protection for the Indiana portion of the 63-mile roadway.

"We feel this study gives us the greatest opportunity to flush out all the facts needed to do a major infrastructure project of this type," Rex Richards, Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce president, said.

"We need to make sure we separate emotion from facts."

The study would come first, said Leigh Morris, NIRPC chair and City of LaPorte Mayor. If it is determined the expressway is needed, then corridor protection would be put in place.

Morris, who serves as NIRPC chairman, started the meeting by crumpling up and throwing away a map portraying an Illiana Expressway route as a broad blue swath cutting through Lowell and up to Michigan City.

"I want to make certain that no one in this room believes that the map ... you've seen in various publications, bears any relationship to reality," Morris said.

That map has alarmed residents of some communities as well as residents of rural areas.

Though NIRPC and Forum representatives at Monday's presentation were careful to say they were only endorsing the study and corridor protection, their enthusiasm for getting the Illiana Expressway built was obvious.

"We need the Illiana now," said Crown Point Mayor Dan Klein. "This roadway will help all of Northwest Indiana and is essential to the growth and prosperity of our region."

More than 30,000 construction jobs would be created by the project, said Dewey Pearman, Construction Advancement Foundation executive director.

Gov. Daniels has argued the only way to get the roadway built is as a public-private partnership, where the state would acquire the route and then solicit bids from private companies to build and operate it.

Senate Bill 1 is the governor's favored bill encompassing those objectives and is scheduled for a committee vote today.

Legislators in the Indiana General Assembly are hesitating to give Daniels that kind of blanket authority up front and may in the end opt to give him something less.

Sen. Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, has submitted a corridor protection bill that establishes the state's and property owners' rights once a route is established. That bill has not yet been scheduled for a committee hearing.

In arguing the need for corridor protection, NIRPC executive director John Swanson pointed out that earlier proposed routes have been supplanted by development.

A 1974 study put the road's junction with Interstate 65 just south of U.S. 30. Another study in 1990 had the expressway passing just south of Crown Point before joining I-65. The current route map making the rounds puts it on the north side of Lowell and extends it all the way to Michigan City.

Senate OKs toll road bill

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Senate endorsed a plan Monday that would give Gov. Mitch Daniels the authority to seek private developers for two major proposed highway projects: the 75-mile Indiana Commerce Connector, which would loop around part of Indianapolis, and the Illiana Expressway, which would span 50 miles of northwestern Indiana.

Daniels and Indiana Department of Transportation officials have said the two tollways would relieve congestion and fuel economic growth in surrounding areas. The Senate passed the proposal 36-13.

Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, said the projects could help relieve traffic problems without using tax money.

“There isn't public money available to build these badly needed projects,” said Wyss, the bill's sponsor.

But Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, said lawmakers should have more oversight over the tollways' development.

“The only authority that the Legislature has in determining anything to do with the commerce connector or any future toll road is gone with the passage of this bill,” Simpson said.

The bill could face significant hurdles in the House, which Democrats now control, 51-49. Legislation that allowed Daniels to lease the Indiana Toll Road to a foreign, private venture passed the House last year, but Republicans had a 52-48 edge then and not a single House Democrat voted for the bill.

Democrats said that was a bad financial deal and argued the state should not turn over a major asset to a private company, which they predicted would increase tolls continuously to make a big profit.

When Daniels announced the Indiana Commerce Connector in November, he said the state could collect about $1 billion by allowing a private entity to pay to build and operate it as a tollway looping east and south of Indianapolis.

Daniels said that money would help the state pay for the I-69 extension and allow that highway's entire route to be free of tolls. Daniels later proposed the Illiana Expressway that would run from I-94 near Michigan City south of Valparaiso and Gary to I-57 south of Chicago.

Residents unite against Illiana

By Laurie Wink, The News-Dispatch

Toll road issue becomes emotional

WESTVILLE - A standing-room-only crowd of several hundred packed the Westville American Legion on Tuesday for a meeting organized by CAPIT, Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Toll Road.

They came to ask questions as to the status of a proposed toll road announced in December by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. They wanted to know if it would take away their property and threaten their livelihoods.

Calvin Thompson has farmed 160 acres south of Pinola all of his life. Early Tuesday, he attended a meeting about the potential for ethanol production in Indiana. He agreed that, while both ethanol and the Illiana highway are priorities for Daniels, they could be in conflict with each other.

“We finally got corn above $4 (a bushel) and now they want to take our land away for a road,” Thompson said, laughing like a man who could not quite believe the irony of the situation. He added, “We need something to get LaPorte County moving, whether it's an intermodal or an ethanol plant. I'm not joining either side.”

Beverly O'Saben, Westville, attended the meeting to find out where the road would be located. She said, “I won't object until I know exactly where it will go. If it takes out a lot of farmland, no, I don't want it.”

Thompson, O'Saben and the others were joined by a highly motivated, well-organized corps of citizen activists ready to do battle with the governor and his allies. They, too, seem to have more questions than answers at this point.

Dave Ahlberg of Morgan Township near Valparaiso formed CAPIT in January and now claims to have more than 1,000 members in Porter, Lake and LaPorte counties. He said he was in Westville for the 7 to 9 p.m. meeting Tuesday primarily to educate people and spread the word about how to oppose the highway project.

Each meeting attendee got a sheaf of information from a CAPIT volunteer that included four pre-written letters and envelopes addressed to the area's state representatives. CAPIT made it easy for people to sign the letters, place them in sealed envelopes and hand them in.

They were also ready with yard signs, a newsletter and an invitation to host other meetings in area communities.

The anti-toll road message intended for the legislators was summed up at one point by Ahlberg, the meeting leader, who said, “We don't want it, we don't need it and we won't use it. No way. No how.” The statement got a round of applause.

Ahlberg said Senate Bill 1, which was supposedly intended to authorize a study of the Illiana toll road, has already passed the Republican-controlled Senate and is headed to the House of Representatives, where Democrats have a slight majority. Ahlberg said the House transportation committee intends to have public hearings about the bill. Representatives have until the end of the legislative session in April to vote on it.

Ahlberg gave the bill a 50-50 chance of passing before the end of April. A steady stream of questions were posed to Ahlberg by members of the audience. One person said he couldn't get a decent map of the proposed highway from the Internet. “There is no decent map,” Ahlberg responded.

“What makes them think truck drivers will pay the toll?” one person asked. Ahlberg said those behind the Illiana highway don't care whether or not it gets used because the project is not really about relieving congestion on the Boorman Expressway, as has been promoted. He claims that Sen. Bill 1 is part of a master highway plan that would eventually connect Mexico, the United States and Canada.

“It almost sounds like science fiction when you get into it,” Ahlberg said.

A common fear expressed by audience members was about the government's right to use eminent domain as a justification for buying up private property.

Natalie Werner of Hanna teared up when she talked about her fear that the toll road would “wipe out our entire family.” She said her mother and father are living in the house her grandparents owned and that she hoped would one day pass on to her, unless the property is seized for construction of the new road.

Weaver said she's been fighting back tears as she goes door-to-door as a CAPIT volunteer to inform area residents about how to get involved in the grassroots movement. She heard about CAPIT through an e-mail from a friend and she's now a regular participant of “the yahoo group,” a message board linked to the CAPIT Web site www.no-illiana.com.

Ahlberg urged everyone to attend the March 10 legislative forum at 10:30 a.m. at the Porter County Expo Center. Area legislators have been invited to attend and hear public concerns about the Illiana project.

So of course today the News Dispatch finally picks up this story, and they have a story of a bunch of LaPorte County residents questioning if this is a good idea or not, and saying the will probably move if it happens. I am not much of a fan of our governor, but he was dead on right when he said LaPorte county is anti-business.