The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has signed the Illiana Corridor Tier Two Record of Decision, marking the completion of the project's environmental planning phase.

This decision comes after the FHWA published in September the Illiana Corridor Tier Two Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

With the issuance of the Record of Decision, the FHWA supports the transportation need for the project, approves the analysis of its environmental impacts, as well as any mitigation efforts, and concurs with the selected route alternative for the new 50-mile highway facility connecting Interstate 55 near Wilmington, IL, with Interstate 65 near Lowell, IN.

The project is divided in two PPP contracts, the Illinois segment and the Indiana segment.

This action provides federal authorization for Indiana and Illinois to move the project forward from the planning phase to the implementation phase, laying the foundation for the continued exploration of public-private partnership (PPP) opportunities for construction, maintenance and operation. Land acquisition efforts, including landowner relations and local planning activities, also can continue.

The corridor is located in Will County in Illinois and Lake County in Indiana. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) plan to begin construction on the Illiana Corridor in the spring of 2015.

Earlier this year we reported that IDOT received Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from five teams to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the Illinois portion of the Illiana,

Two weeks later we reported that IFA / INDOT received six responses to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to develop, design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Indiana portion of the Illiana Corridor and I-65 added capacity projects. In March this year IFA / INDOT shortlisted for of the six teams.