Indiana Commerce Connector

November 10, 2006 07:00 pm

— What is the Indiana Commerce Connector?
The Indiana Commerce Connector would be a 75-80 mile outer loop around the northeast, east, and south sides of Indianapolis. This tolled highway would run from Interstate 69 near Pendleton, past Greenfield, Shelbyville, Franklin, Martinsville, and terminate west of the Indianapolis International Airport. It would intersect with Interstates 70, 74, 65 and 69, and other major state highways. The Indiana Commerce Connector will be a public asset owned by the State of Indiana.

Why is it called the Indiana Commerce Connector?
Tens of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of new plants and facilities are coming to Indiana. Our state is becoming a key global transportation hub. Indiana is expected to see a considerable growth in the amount of people and products utilizing our transportation network. The Indiana Commerce Connector provides a key link between our state’s highways and transportation facilities and commerce hubs.

How much would it cost to build the Indiana Commerce Connector?
Early estimates from Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) suggest it could cost between $1 billion and $1.5 billion in today’s dollars. However, since this highway would only be built through a public-private partnership, the winning management company would shoulder of the cost of building, maintaining, and managing the highway. Governor Daniels is directing INDOT to immediately initiate a comprehensive study to determine the project’s exact cost, the location of the road, and an estimate of the highway’s value. The study will take approximately two years to complete.

How will the Indiana Commerce Connector be funded?
Governor Daniels will ask the Indiana General Assembly to transfer tolling authority currently authorized through a public-private partnership (P3) from Interstate 69 (Evansville to Indianapolis) project to the Indiana Commerce Connector. After INDOT completes its study, the agency would solicit bids from companies to design, build, maintain and operate the highway as a toll road using private money. Without the General Assembly transferring tolling authority from Interstate 69 to the Indiana Commerce Connector, the highway cannot be built.

How much money will Indiana receive for the right to build and manage the Indiana Commerce Connector?
Preliminarily, INDOT believes the value of the Indiana Commerce Connector would not only be enough to pay for the Connector, but would generate additional proceeds to help finish the critical Interstate 69 project. INDOT’s study will provide a better indication of the value of the highway That study will take approximately two years to complete and will be shared with elected leaders and Hoosiers.

When will construction start on the Indiana Commerce Connector and will it be completed?
Assuming P3 tolling authority is transferred from Interstate 69 to the Indiana Commerce Connector — and the highway location and environmental studies are completed on schedule, and a sound bid is received to design, build and manage the highway — construction could start within six years. Individual segments of the highway will be opened as construction concludes. The entire Indiana Commerce Connector is expected to be open to traffic approximately 10 years later.

How much will it cost to drive on the Indiana Commerce Connector?
It is too early to know what toll rates will be established. A comprehensive toll and revenue analysis will be done to determine the details. The state would be responsible for establishing and approving the toll rates. It is important to remember the private management company that would build and manage the Indiana Commerce Connector would have to price tolls competitively and provide value in order to attract motorists.

Would the Indiana Commerce Connector reduce traffic and save the state highway construction money in other places?
INDOT believes construction of the Indiana Commerce Connector would attract through traffic from Interstate 465 and other thoroughfares around Indianapolis thereby reducing congestion. This traffic reduction could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing the need for added lanes and upgrades at various points around Interstate 465 and other central Indiana highways.
Source: Office of Governor Mitch Daniels