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SPRINGFIELD, ILL. AND INDIANAPOLIS, IND. — The Bi-State partnership formed last year by Governors Pat Quinn of Illinois and Mitch Daniels of Indiana is moving forward with planning for the Illiana Corridor. This joint effort is being managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), and seeks to identify a long-term transportation solution in a study area extending from I-55 on the west to I-65 on the east.

The Illiana Study will follow the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and involve the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS. The EIS will be pursued in two parts, or Tiers. Tier One, which is expected to be completed by May 2013, will involve identifying the transportation needs, developing and evaluating a range of alternatives, and selecting a preferred plan at a conceptual level of detail. Tier Two, which includes more detailed engineering and environmental studies for the preferred plan, is expected to be completed within 24 to 36 months after the completion of Tier One. Funding alternatives will also be considered, and both states have adopted public-private partnership (P3) legislation, which allows the Illiana study to use private investment for the financing, construction, and operation of a transportation facility.

"We look forward to working together to address the transportation needs in a way that keeps people, goods, and the economy moving forward while protecting environmentally sensitive areas", said Greg Kicinski, director of project management for INDOT.

Stakeholder involvement will be a key feature of the planning process, including working groups (currently being formed), public meetings, a public hearing, a project website (www.illianacorridor.org), newsletters, small group meetings, and a speakers bureau. Public Meeting #1 will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 21st at the Matteson Hotel Conference Center (Holiday Inn) in Matteson, Ill., and on June 22nd at Crown Point High School in Crown Point Ind.

"The Illiana Corridor study represents more than a partnership between two states — it's a partnership with every stakeholder who is interested in transportation within the study area," said Diane O'Keefe, Region One engineer for IDOT's Chicago area office.