Planners continue to study Illiana roadway

Leaders from the Northwest Indiana Forum and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission met in Indianapolis on Wednesday night to meet with state legislators at the Downtown Marriott.

While public meetings in Northwest Indiana have brought out hundreds of opponents to the Illiana plan, supporters say plans are still years away and conceptual lines showing a connection between Interstate 94 to Interstate 65 are not indicative of where the road will be.

Leaders stressed corridor protection, so future growth does not limit possibilities of where the conceived toll road would go.

"I think we should study it," said Porter County Councilman Matt Murphy, R-3rd. "I'm looking out 20 years."

The issue has drawn concern from Porter and LaPorte representatives, although LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris supports the route study.

At the joint reception held by the Forum and NIRPC, state Sen. Vic Heinold, R-Kouts, said he believes there will be compromise on legislative oversight of the route.

The proposal, Senate Bill 1, is sponsored by state Sen. Thomas Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, and state Sen. Sue Landske, D-Cedar Lake. It would authorize new toll roads for the Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis regions to divert traffic and it would make a proposed southwestern leg of Interstate 69 a freeway, undoing last year's toll-road label.

The bill has many cosponsors, including state Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, who said I-80/94 is getting congested and only has so much time left as the region's main traffic artery.

Rogers said the Illiana route has yet to be designated or studied, but the concept would relieve congestion and promote economic development. It's a theme even LaPorte leaders repeat.

"It would be nice to divert that truck traffic, get it out of downtown LaPorte," said Mike Seitz, president of the Greater LaPorte Chamber of Commerce.

Rogers said she did not oppose the Illiana being authorized as a toll road, as the state does not have enough money to build it.