Illinois and Indiana need the Illiana Expressway

Predictably, Chicago's greenies have found another highway to despise.
It's the proposed and needed Illiana toll road in the far south suburbs, linking Interstate Highway 55 in southern Will County, the proposed south suburban airport and I-65 in southern Lake County, Ind.
Sadly, their opposition has more to do with ideology than reality. More sadly, they have effectively rallied their forces, raising the distinct possibility that this necessary regional infrastructure improvement will be permanently snuffed out. Even sadder, it's another slight of the Southland — the part of the Chicago region that traditionally stands last in line, hat in hand.
Filed under: Illinois politics

Dennis Byrne is a Chicago Tribune Columnist and blogger.   He wrote this interesting article about the proposed Illinois Toll Road, which would provide an additional east west Interstate Highway south of and around Chicago.
There is a predicable response from some people who oppose any developing outside of the existing urban area. They want all investment and effort made towards the inner city and view any outlying suburban development as bad.  I think this view is shortsighted.  The United States and major metropolitan areas are growing.  Much of this growth auto dependent. If you don't build additional high volume safe interstates you accommodate this traffic with slow and unsafe roads that increase congestion and air pollution.





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