Landowners, Citizens Rally in Lowell Against Illiana

Northwest Hoosiers and politicians alike showed up at an anti-Illiana rally Monday night in Lowell, IN. The hundred or so people in attendance at the VFW Lodge had assorted reasons for their disdain of the proposed interstate road project, but one message was consistent: “we don’t want it.”

“What’s good for Indiana? If you can’t see that, then as elected officials, you can’t support this,” Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell said.

 He said those millions could be spent on provisions in Senate Bill 585, which he said is enjoying “all kinds of bipartisan support,” would put governor-appointees on the board of the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority, require a study of a second Lake Michigan port and mandate a study on the need for a trauma one center in northwest Indiana.

Capitalizing on the recent Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning report, which found the Illiana’s planners sharply underestimated its costs and overestimated its benefits, the meeting’s leaders urged the crowd to contact all members of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission with the message. Approval from NIRPC is necessary for the expressway project to happen.

The planned Illiana project is currently in the midst of narrowing the route choice. IDOT and INDOT expect to announce the final route selection sometime this fall.

Full story here.

If you think you may be affected by the Illiana Expressway and/or are interested in a free consultation, contact our eminent domain landowner attorneys at 1-888-318-3761 or visit us on the web at www.landownerattorneys.com.