Indiana seeks investors for tollway near Chicago

MUNSTER, Ind. — Indiana officials are giving potential investors about two months to show interest in the state’s part of the planned $1.3 billion tollway linking highways south of Chicago.

The Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana Finance Authority have set a Jan. 10 deadline for investors to submit qualifications for the Illiana Expressway project.

Both states are seeking private companies to finance construction of the 47-mile link from Interstate 65 near Lowell to Interstate 55 near Wilmington, Ill.

The Times of Munster reports (http://bit.ly/17teTln ) Indiana’s investor solicitation includes plans for widening about a dozen miles of I-65 north of Lowell. Highway department spokesman Jim Pinkerton says the state doesn’t plan to have tolls for that section of I-65 as that work will be paid for with traditional highway funding.