The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Indiana Department of Transportation have just announced plans for an international industry forum, entitled: Partnering for Progress: Financing through PublicPrivate Partnerships for the Illiana Corridor project in Will County, IL. and Lake County, Ind.

The two-day event will be held on June 24 & 25, 2013, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

The industry forum is expected to attract up to 1,000 attendees, ranging from local laborers, contractors and DBEs to international investors and construction management companies.

Highlights of the conference include: a keynote address from Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a 10,000-square-foot exhibit area for potential contractors, partners and investors, one-on-one meetings with project managers and an evening networking reception.

The project:

The Illiana Corridor is a proposed 47-mile access controlled highway facility that extends from I-55 in Illinois on the west to I-65 in Indiana on the east. The preferred corridor is located in Will County in Illinois and Lake County in Indiana. When built, the Illiana Corridor Project will reduce the strain of truck traffic on local roads, thereby improving safety, travel times, and accessibility to jobs. Potential economic benefits include the creation and retention of more than 9,000 construction jobs and more than 25,000 long-term jobs.