Governors of Illinois and Indiana have signed legislation to jointly build the Illiana Expressway that would link I-55 south of Joliet, Ill., to I-65 near Lowell, Ind., and skirt the congested Chicago area.
The proposed Expressway will serve as an alternate route to the heavily traveled I-90/I-94 corridor and provide access to freight and logistics centers in the Illinois area.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn also signed a state senate bill that authorizes public-private agreements with contractors to develop, finance, build and manage or operate the Expressway for the state. The two states expect to start the project later this year by initiating environmental studies.
