Illiana Expressway Could Be Reality By 2018
The Indiana Department of Transportation's Illiana Expressway Phase 2 Grant Application for designation of the proposed highway as a Corridor of the Future contains the following timeline that suggests that if all goes as planned, the Illiana Expressway could be reality by 2018.
See Illiana Expressway Phase 2 Grant Proposal, section 10-1.
Through the Bi-state Agreement between Illinois and Indiana, the general scope of a feasibility study of the Illiana Corridor has been developed. This process has reached another milestone in Indiana Governor Daniels’ recent signing of legislation which directs the Indiana DOT to perform a needs assessment for the Illiana Corridor.
The study will provide a description of the need for an Illiana Expressway, projections for right-of-way acquisition costs, expected use of the proposed expressway and any toll revenues, expected construction costs, expected operating and maintenance costs, funding options, the project’s ability to relieve traffic congestion, and economic impacts.
By following the INDOT EA/Corridor Study Process, this phase of project development will result in a reasonable range of alternatives that may proceed directly into an EIS. The study is to be completed by July 1, 2009.
Following development of the feasibility study, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be completed. This process, which typically takes five years for such projects, will conclude with a record of decision (ROD). Acceleration of this timeframe is possible for the Illiana Corridor because some of the EIS activities are to be conducted in the feasibility study.
Accordingly, a ROD could be achieved by July 1, 2012, two years earlier than with the traditional approach which would result in a ROD by mid-2014.
Final design and engineering will begin on issuance of the ROD. On similar projects, based on a traditional project delivery approach this process would take another four years, combined with right-of-way acquisition, after which construction would commence, in approximately mid-2018.
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Labels: Corridors Of The Future, Illiana Expressway, Phase 2
posted by Chris Hedges at
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