Illiana Is the Key to Relieving Gridlock, Fatal Accidents

K18 | SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2018 DEADLIEST ROADS THE TIMES Lawmaker: Illiana is the key to relieving gridlock, fatal accidents Political, social roadblocks remain for the proposed Illiana Expressway BILL DOLAN [email protected], 219-933-4197 An Indiana legislator would like to reroute drivers from the dan- gers and congestion on Northwest Indiana’s busiest highways. “If we are going to talk about road safety, you have got to talk about moving traffic efficiently, and that’s the Illiana,” state Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso said recently. Soliday is referring to the long-proposed, perennially stalled plan for an Illiana Express- way, which would ad a new east- west interstate to the Region. Planners have long argued the route would provide the relief valve needed for traffic gridlock — and reduce the glut of traffic accidents on our Region roadways. Proponents of the highway argue that such traffic relief valves are needed now more than ever — especially when considering a recent Times investigation of 373 fatal accidents on Lake, Por- ter and LaPorte county roadways over five years. The investigation shows that the leading roadways for accidents also are the most congested, with the Interstate 80 corridor and U.S. highways, including U.S. 20, 30 and 41, leading the pack for fatalities. In all, 147 fatal crashes on Re- gion interstate or U.S. highways claimed 160 lives over five years. Another 41 fatal crashes, which claimed an additional 50 lives, occurred on the Region’s busiest state highways of Indiana routes 2, 53, 49 and 55. Proponents may argue that a new major highway is a key tool for reducing fatal accidents and traffic tie-ups. But a different kind of gridlock, with both political and social bar- ricades, has kept the Illiana from any semblance of an express lane. Not on the map The Illiana Expressway was supposed to open this year under long-term transportation planning proposals, but you won’t find it on your favorite route planning app. Some kind of an outer beltway encircling the Chicago metropol- itan area has been envisioned for more than a century. One such segment, the Interstate 355 ex- tension between I-55 and I-80, opened in 2007. Eight years ago, in a Lansing airport hangar just yards from the state line, former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and former Indi- ana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a memorandum of understanding committing both states to work FILE, THE TIMES together to plan and develop a Residents view maps documenting a proposed route for the Illiana Expressway during a past public meeting at Crown Point High School. 47-mile Illiana Expressway. The new interstate would function as want to make a safety difference a toll road, linking Interstate 65 in Fatal crashes by interchange Fatal crashes by on Interstate 80/94 and you want south Lake County and Interstate This chart shows the roadway locations where fatal crashes occurred to offload truck traffic from U.S. 55 in Will County. over ﬁve years in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties in relation to day of the week 41 and U.S. 30, you have to build But Quinn lost the gubernato- interchanges or intersections. 80 the Illiana.” rial race in 2014 to current Illi- Non-Junction 236 70 Like all major infrastructure nois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who was Intersection 66 60 projects, funding such a new 50 elected on a promise to streamline Intersection-related 41 highway remains a challenge, state government. Rauner put a 40 Soliday said. Driveway access related 9 freeze on Illiana planning after 30 “A big problem is that Illinois’ Entrance/exit ramp related 7 taking office. 20 bonding power is so weak it be- 5 At the time, an Indiana De- Railway grade crossing 10 comes problematic if you wanted 3 partment of Transportation Entrance/exit ramp 0 private investors to develop a pub- spokesman said the Hoosier state Driveway access 3 lic-private highway,” Soliday said. remained available to discuss Through roadway 1 “We happily would talk with them Friday Sunday Monday the Illiana corridor with Illinois. 1 Tuesday about solutions, but you cannot Other location within interchange area Saturday Thursday More recently, Scott Manning, the Crossover-related 1 Wednesday do anything with (Rauner), who Lee Enterprises graphic current INDOT spokesman, said Lee Enterprises graphic says, ‘I’m just not going to do it. I recently the Illiana’s status hasn’t don’t care what the numbers say.’” changed. or is coming from the west and But an Illiana would have to be He noted it didn’t make sense to ever, Pritzker has publicly called tal crashes on that stretch of the continuing southeast to connect built around more than just Raun- speculate on the project’s future. for infrastructure modernization highway. to Interstate 65. er’s opposition. But Soliday has no such reser- and improvements to roads and Highway safety experts say “A large portion of the traffic on vations. bridges in Illinois, which hasn’t the disproportionate danger is a I-80/94 isn’t stopping in Indiana, Homegrown opposition “It is a regular topic of discus- seen a major highway project on combination of traffic congestion and a lot of them aren’t even stop- Several environmental groups sion between me and INDOT,” the books in nine years. and too many reckless or impaired ping in Illinois either.” sued to stop the Illiana’s approval Soliday said. “We are ready when- drivers. Collisions among cars He said many existing west- by the U.S. Federal Highway Ad- ever (Illinois officials) are ready to Fatal congestion weaving through the gridlock are bound travelers on Region high- ministration. U.S. District Court move forward.” Meanwhile, the gridlock and usually minor, but vehicles up- ways are on their way to connect Judge Jorge Alonso ruled in 2015 body count on Region roads con- stream approaching it too quickly on I-57 or I-55 in Illinois because that the project’s environmental Political uncertainty tinues. to stop can cause mayhem. their are no ready alternative impact statement did not appro- It remains to be seen if or when Four hundred and four people routes. priately address potential con- Illinois will come back to the Illi- died between 2010 and 2014 in A way forward? “So when an accident or some- flicts with regional land use plans ana table. the Region’s 373 fatal road crashes Soliday argues the proposed thing else backs it up, the heavy or potential harm to the Mide- Rauner, whose office declined across Lake, Porter and LaPorte four-lane Illiana could open up a truck traffic diverts to U.S. 30. win National Tallgrass Prairie in comment on the topic, faces counties, according to a Times way forward from the congestion. Some even wind up as far south Wilmington, Illinois. re-election Nov. 6 and has been probe of National Highway Traffic “What we try to explain to as Ind. 10 (Lake Village, DeMotte), Nor was the Illiana all that trailing Democratic opponent, J. Safety Administration data. people is the Illiana wasn’t for which was never designed for that popular among local community B. Pritzker, in recent polls. Northwest Indiana accounts for developing a Peotone Airport,” kind of traffic,” Soliday said. groups in Indiana. Pritzker’s campaign didn’t 41 percent of the state’s I-80 cor- Soliday said. “It was about cap- “We cannot build anymore Earlier intentions to extend the respond to a Times request for ridor but 78 percent of the people turing about 50 percent of the lanes on I-80/94, and the need of 00 comment on the Illiana. How- killed and 89 percent of the fa- traffic that isn’t going to Chicago diversion doesn’t go away. If you Please see ILLIANA, Page K19 1.

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