BY ANDY GRIMM, Post-Tribune
Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and Transportation Commissioner Karl Browning believe a proposed Illiana Expressway, built and operated by a private company, is vital to the economic future of Northwest Indiana and the rest of the state.
And that future is not too far off, warned Browning, who said planning for the controversial project could take three to seven years and construction could take up to 15 years.
"We are at at the cusp of when we have to begin that planning (for a major new road)," Browning told a group of government and business leaders Wednesday in a speech at the Radisson Hotel.
"To not look at it ... is irresponsible."
But the questions most residents want answered -- where, exactly, will the road go? what will the tolls be? who will run it? -- can't be answered until legislators authorize a multimillion-dollar study. Gov. Mitch Daniels would negotiate a partnership with a private firm for the work and could, under a bill approved by the Senate, approve construction.
Rural residents have voiced concerns about how a new highway might speed growth, and Daniels has taken heat from voters over leasing the Indiana Toll Road. LaPorte County Commissioner Mike Bohacek said he remains skeptical.
"In theory, it sounds like a good idea, but without knowing where the interchanges are going to be, you can't tell," said Bohacek, who works for a trucking company.
"I understand corridor congestion (on the Borman), but if there's no long-term plan for development (along Illiana), it might not help the communities."
Residents have been skeptical about the project, but Browning said Wednesday that Illiana follows a typical 10 to 15-year timeline to take a major road project from the drawing board to completion, development and traffic congestion could already overwhelm existing highways.
Like the proposed toll road itself, an environmental and economic impact study that precedes construction would be paid for by a private partner. The studies could take three to seven years, though private financing might speed the process, Browning said.
Browning noted that since the Illiana route would have to intersect with interstate highways, federal laws would require the private developers to follow guidelines for public input and planning.