Letter: Illiana Expressway Critical to County's Future Growth

Dear Editor:

Last week’s vote by the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) to add the Illiana Expressway to their region’s long-range transportation plan was another critical step forward and an opportunity to continue the process to finance and build the Illiana as Illinois’ first P3 or public-private partnership.

Officials in both Indiana and Illinois have now endorsed the need for a new East-West toll road connecting the two states and the Illiana project’s compatibility with broad-based plans for the future.

Will County has actively participated in making this project a reality, with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), and many local and regional partners. My commitment as Will County Executive is to the residents of Will County who will be most impacted by the Illiana, but stand to benefit greatly from reduced congestion on local arterials, less truck traffic on I-80 and improved safety and mobility overall. 

The Illiana is a significant step toward building a safer and more reliable transportation system for moving people and products throughout the Chicago region.

Will County’s population is projected to exceed 1.2 million residents by the year 2040. The Illiana will sustain a growing population with improved regional highway connections, a safer and more efficient option for truck traffic and expanded growth in the freight and logistics industry.  

Economically, Will County has become a major center of freight distribution and logistics-related business activity. New intermodal facilities constructed with private investment connect Will County to the global marketplace and create access to overseas markets for Midwest grain exports and manufactured goods. Will County’s 21st century transportation assets strengthen the region’s competitiveness as a transportation hub and support new job creation and business growth.

The Illiana will function as a freight corridor with direct access to local intermodals, multiple connections to the interstate network and new capacity to move large volumes of trucks reliably and efficiently through the region.

The significance of the Illiana as Illinois’ first viable public-private partnership cannot be overstated. Public dollars alone are insufficient for the level of investment needed to deliver a world-class transportation system comparable to other leading cities around the globe.

IDOT and INDOT will continue their efforts to pursue a private partner for the Illiana and this process will provide needed information on the project’s financial viability. If the Illiana can leverage new private investment with limited public funding and taxpayer risk, it will be a success. 

With critical votes from the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) for Northeastern Illinois and Northwest Indiana behind us in favor of moving forward with the Illiana Expressway, Will County and others who have strongly advocated for the project can renew our focus on a brighter future for our region.

Lawrence M. Walsh

Will County Executive