Illinois legislators OK Illiana Expressway

By wide margins in both chambers, the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation Thursday authorizing the use of a public-private partnership to build the Illiana Expressway.

The measure now goes before Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn -- who is expected to sign it. Gov. Mitch Daniels has already signed into law similar legislation for the Indiana portion of the road.

"The fact that we've gotten two states to come up with enabling language for one specific project in the same legislative cycle is an exciting day," said state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Chicago Heights, the sponsor of the legislation in the Illinois Senate.

The Senate approved Senate Bill 3659 58-0 Thursday night. Earlier Thursday, the Illinois House voted 116-1 for the measure.

The Illiana Expressway is a proposed highway connecting Interstate 65 in Lake County with Interstate 55 near Joliet, Ill. The road is intended to relieve traffic on the often-congested Borman Expressway and spur economic development along its likely route in south Lake County and into Illinois.

Hutchinson said she is excited by the estimated $6 billion in projected economic development and the more than 13,000 permanent jobs expected to come into Illinois as a result of the road.

"We're just ripe in this area for investment in infrastructure," Hutchinson said.

Indiana is expected to reap some 10,000 permanent new jobs related to development along its 10-mile portion of the Illiana Expressway.

Since neither Indiana nor Illinois have adequate state funds to pay for the road project, lawmakers in both states said a public-private partnership is the best way to get the road built.

Under that system, each state would own the land underneath the road in its state, while the road itself would be built and operated by a private investor who'd collect tolls for its use.

Indiana state Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, said the process of looking for an investor to build the road can begin.

"We now have some credibility out in the marketplace with potential investors that are looking for opportunities to invest their money," Charbonneau said.

Daniels has proposed establishing a bi-state commission to promote the project and evaluate bidders before the states decide who will build and operate the expressway.