“community concerns are expected with large-scale road projects” - politicians just have to make sure they’re ignored.
- Posted by i69news on February 14th, 2007 filed in Privatization
The Indiana state senate overwhelmingly approved the plan for the Indianapolis Commerce Connector (”I-469″) earlier this week. Clearly much more has to be done if we are to stop these roads. From the Indianapolis Star:
Governor’s toll road plan cruises out of Senate
House likely to be cagier about privately run beltway, bypass
by Theodore Kim theodore.kim@indystar.com
Gov. Mitch Daniels’ hopes of winning legislative approval for two new toll roads now lie in the Democratic-controlled House after Senate lawmakers signed off on the plan Monday.
The Senate voted 36-13 in approving the legislation. Prospects are less certain in the House, which has frowned on privatization efforts in the past.
Senate Bill 1 — co-authored by Republican Sens. Thomas J. Wyss of Fort Wayne and Sue Landske of Cedar Lake — would let Daniels pursue the privately built toll roads in Central and Northwest Indiana. The roads, he says, would ease congestion and create economic growth.
The Indiana Commerce Connector would make a 75-mile loop east and south of Indianapolis. The second project, the Illiana Expressway, would serve as a bypass around the chronically congested Borman Expressway and run from the Michigan City area into Illinois.
Wyss said the projects represent “great potential for Indiana, without taxing any of Indiana.”
Both projects would be paid for, built and operated by private entities. Also, the operator of the connector would give the state an upfront cash payment, which, Daniels says, would go toward completing the I-69 extension from Indianapolis to Evansville.
March 1st, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Not sure where the poster of this article got “I-469″ for the Indy Commerce Connector. I-469 already exists as a bypass around Fort Wayne, which was built during the late ’80s and early ’90s.