Illiana Corridor progress

[Rick Powell]

B3, between Wilmington, IL and Cedar Lake/Lowell, IN

The presentation is located at http://www.illianacorridor.org/pdfs/illiana_cpgttf7ppt_020712_final.pdf

[Brandon]

B3, between Wilmington, IL and Cedar Lake/Lowell, IN

The presentation is located at http://www.illianacorridor.org/pdfs/illiana_cpgttf7ppt_020712_final.pdf

Living here, I must concur.  B-3 (near the Will/Kankakee County Line) is the best one.  It will still pick up a lot of truck traffic from I-80 and the intermodal yards, but be far enough from I-80 to allow both corridors to be used.  It will also allow a westward extension to meet up with the Prairie Parkway in the future.

[hobsini2]

I'm happy to see B3 being the choice corridor. Not only can i see an extension to connect to the Prairie Pkwy proposal but I can see it eventually head east and tie into IN 49 expressway near Valpo and hook up with I-94 by the Indiana Dunes. That would make almost a complete outer bypass around the Chicago area.

[Revive 755]

On one hand I'm happy to see B3 advance as a bypass corridor, but I had kind of hoped for something a tad closer in that would have helped relieve US 30 between IL 394 and I-65.

[Brandon]

On one hand I'm happy to see B3 advance as a bypass corridor, but I had kind of hoped for something a tad closer in that would have helped relieve US 30 between IL 394 and I-65.

The problem with a closer corridor is where to place it.  There may be a lot of farmland between the intermodal centers and I-57, but those areas (especially Manhattan) are growing.  In addition, a bridge across the Kankakee is far cheaper than a new bridge across the Des Plaines (where height must be maintained to allow for barge traffic along the busy waterway).  Then, there's nowhere to go west from I-55 as it is all urban and suburban in Channahon.

[mukade]

Some interesting speculation on when land may be purchased for the tollway and information about eminent domain laws in the two states.

"Homeowners in the path of proposed routes for the Illiana Expressway already are wondering how Indiana's swift and sure eminent domain laws will affect their lives and property values."

Illiana bears down on south Lake Co. homeowners (Northwest Indiana Times)

[JREwing78]

I'm moderately surprised that no direct connection to I-80 is planned. They couldn't bring it 8 miles farther west to meet up near Morris? It seems like they're missing out on big income not having that in place.

If I were an Indiana DOT leader, I'd be examining connection options to US-30 east of Valparaiso, and north to the Toll Road and I-94 near LaPorte and Michigan City (give the ITRCC skin in the game if necessary).

Edited to remove "I-30".  

[tdindy88]

I'm moderately surprised that no direct connection to I-80 is planned. They couldn't bring it 8 miles farther west to meet up near Morris? It seems like they're missing out on big income not having that in place.

If I were an Indiana DOT leader, I'd be examining connection options to I-30 east of Valparaiso, and north to the Toll Road and I-94 near LaPorte and Michigan City (give the ITRCC skin in the game if necessary).

I-30 in Indiana? I need to clinch the highway, just didn't know that it was extended from Little Rock to Valparaiso. JK, I'm sure you meant US 30, and in all seriousness, a complete bypass of the Northwest Indiana area up to Michigan City wouldn't be a horrible idea for those heading north on 65 whose destination include the west coast of Michigan and vincinity. Sadly, I don't think INDOT is thinking of such an idea at the moment and with recent improvments on I-65 south of the Borman and along 80/94 east to the Toll Road, they probably won't be considering it.

[mukade]

I think the idea was originally suggested by Mitch Daniels, but the eastern/northern piece to Michigan City/Westville/Valpo was dropped.

I guess I don't see that removed part of the new tollway as a viable thing at the moment. Indiana is spending a lot of money on US 31 upgrade from South Bend to Indianapolis. Given the route of I-65, the US 31 routing is far preferable to western Michiganders than a bypass going south from Michigan City. As for a bypass of I-80 to Morris, I again think that the economics may not be there. Most of current I-80 is free and much of the route has been improved in the last five or six years. So I can't see a sufficient number of people wanting to travel on this new tollway.

As far as building an alternative to US 30 from Merrillville and Crown Point to Valpo, that is needed. The current proposed location of the Illiana is much too far south to work for that, IMO. Although I have never heard any talk of such a bypass, I could only see it as an expressway (for cost reasons) at 93rd Avenue going east from I-65 to SR 49. I seriously doubt that will happen either, but if it was considered, it would most likely have to be pushed from the local level to create something like Ronald Reagan Parkway in Hendricks County or University Pkwy. in Vanderburgh County.

[Brandon]

I'm moderately surprised that no direct connection to I-80 is planned. They couldn't bring it 8 miles farther west to meet up near Morris? It seems like they're missing out on big income not having that in place.

If I were an Indiana DOT leader, I'd be examining connection options to I-30 east of Valparaiso, and north to the Toll Road and I-94 near LaPorte and Michigan City (give the ITRCC skin in the game if necessary).

The extension to Morris is not as far along in the planning stages.  ISTHA has it on their map of the Illiana, and the I-55 interchange will be built to accommodate an extension.

[Lightning Strike]

I'm happy to see B3 being the choice corridor. Not only can i see an extension to connect to the Prairie Pkwy proposal but I can see it eventually head east and tie into IN 49 expressway near Valpo and hook up with I-94 by the Indiana Dunes. That would make almost a complete outer bypass around the Chicago area.

I thought that the Illiana Expressway couldn't connect to the I-94 corridor since it would intersect the Indiana Tollroad and thus be considered a "competing" tollroad. I remember reading somewhere that the Indiana Tollroad didn't want another tollway built near it. I could be misinformed however and will gladly retract my comment, if that's the case.

[NE2]

I thought that the Illiana Expressway couldn't connect to the I-94 corridor since it would intersect the Indiana Tollroad and thus be considered a "competing" tollroad.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5113.msg111770#msg111770
The approved route is all more than 10 miles from the Tollway. If it heads north then to I-94, it would not have 20 continuous miles within 10 miles of the Tollway unless it goes at a rather shallow angle.

[nwi_navigator_1181]

When Illiana first became a hot topic, there were talks of building it east of I-65 and curving northward to I-94 and the Toll Road. Plans for that were scuttled pretty quickly.

Not that I know the lay of the land east of I-65, but it looks to be a very tight fit if the expressway were to turn northward from there.

[Brandon]

When Illiana first became a hot topic, there were talks of building it east of I-65 and curving northward to I-94 and the Toll Road. Plans for that were scuttled pretty quickly.

Not that I know the lay of the land east of I-65, but it looks to be a very tight fit if the expressway were to turn northward from there.

IIRC, it was supposed to connect to IN-49.  IN-49 is a divided highway (and partial freeway) from Valpo north to US-20.

[mukade]

I think it was supposed to go east of Valpo thru Westville and up to Michigan City.

As far as SR 49 goes, I wish it was a freeway, but it really isn't. The CR 400N interchange will be the fourth one between US 30 and ITR, but there are several at grade intersections including the ITR ramps.

[hobsini2]

It would make more sense to tie into the IN 49 expressway. ROW to make it a "freeway style" highway is already in place as is a couple of interchanges.

[tdindy88]

Taking the route through the Chesterton area though may be a bit of a chore. Work would need to be done in the vicinity of Indian Boundary Road and the stoplights to the south toward the Toll Road, unless the freeway portion would end at the Toll Road itself, then there would be little problem.

[ftballfan]

Illiana would be a somewhat quicker way from Springfield, St. Louis, and other points south and west to Gary, Detroit, Cleveland, and other points north and east. It would also take this traffic off already crowded I-80 through south suburban Chicago.

[NE2]

Illiana would be a somewhat quicker way from Springfield, St. Louis, and other points south and west to Gary, Detroit, Cleveland, and other points north and east. It would also take this traffic off already crowded I-80 through south suburban Chicago.

A new I-74 to Lafayette four-lane (including a Lafayette bypass), along with the current SR 25-US 24 project, would be even better for most of this.

[adt1982]

Illiana would be a somewhat quicker way from Springfield, St. Louis, and other points south and west to Gary, Detroit, Cleveland, and other points north and east. It would also take this traffic off already crowded I-80 through south suburban Chicago.

A new I-74 to Lafayette four-lane (including a Lafayette bypass), along with the current SR 25-US 24 project, would be even better for most of this.

I-74 to Lafayette?

[NE2]

Illiana would be a somewhat quicker way from Springfield, St. Louis, and other points south and west to Gary, Detroit, Cleveland, and other points north and east. It would also take this traffic off already crowded I-80 through south suburban Chicago.

A new I-74 to Lafayette four-lane (including a Lafayette bypass), along with the current SR 25-US 24 project, would be even better for most of this.

I-74 to Lafayette?

Yes, I-74 somewhere around Danville to Lafayette.

[Lyon Wonder]

Don't you mean I-72 since I-74 goes east to Indianapolis and southeast to Columbus, OH.

[NE2]

No, I mean I-74. This four-lane would begin at I-74 near Danville and end near Lafayette.

[mgk920]

No, I mean I-74. This four-lane would begin at I-74 near Danville and end near Lafayette.

Then duplex I-72 with I-74 between C-U and Danville, perhaps developing part of this 'I-72' as a south loop around C-U?

Mike

[NE2]

Who cares what it's numbered?