Proposed Illiana routes will get public viewing

The Illiana Corridor Planning Group will present a narrowed list of possible routes for the proposed two-state expressway at meetings this month.

The first meeting will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 22 at Crown Point High School, 1500 South Main St. in Crown Point. The second will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 23, at the Matteson Hotel and Conference Center, 500 Holiday Plaza Drive, Matteson, Ill.

At similar meetings in early December, the planning group unveiled maps of eight possible Illiana route corridors and two arterial roadways connecting Interstate 65 in Lake County and Interstate 55 in Illinois. Those routes passed through southern portions of Lake County as well as portions of Will and Kankakee counties.

The Illiana Corridor Planning Group is made up of representatives of communities and interest groups across the three counties. The group was formed by the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation, which are funding a multi-year study of the proposed expressway.

The corridors that will be the subject of the latest meetings "represent the best blend of transportation performance, minimizing impacts to the built and natural environment, compatibility with local plans, and financial viability" according to a joint release from the two transportation agencies.

People attending the meetings can speak with INDOT and IDOT representatives to learn more about the proposal, as well as a professional study team of consultants. There will also be a PowerPoint presentation. A question and answer session will be held at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day.

Those meetings will be preceded by a meeting of the Illiana Corridor Planning Group/Technical Task Force from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday at the Avalon Manor, Hobart.