Indiana, Illinois working on toll road proposal

States near deal to reciprocate discounts for electronic tolling

May 28, 2007

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - The Indiana Toll Road operator, still negotiating a deal with its Illinois counterpart to make discounts reciprocal, hopes to roll out electronic tolling by mid June.

The Illinois Tollway Authority could review a proposal as early as this week, said Joelle McGinnis, an Illinois Tollway spokeswoman.

"The Illinois Tollway has not wavered at all in its thinking that it wants to be a good neighbor and there should be reciprocity in toll discounts," she said.

Indiana drivers who have transponders that electronically deduct tolls from preset accounts get the same 50 percent discount as Illinois drivers on that state's roads. Illinois wants the same privilege for its residents who drive on the Indiana Toll Road.

Before the flap, Indiana's I-Zoom was expected to go into effect on the western portion of the Indiana Toll Road on June 1. Cars and motorcycles with I-Zoom transponders will get a 40 percent discount.

ITR Concession Co., which operates the Indiana Toll Road, is hopeful a deal will be struck by the end of the month so it can begin electronic tolling by mid-June, spokesman Matt Pierce said.

The I-Zoom transponders should be available the first week of June by Internet, phone and at the mile-marker 22 travel plaza in Burns Harbor, Pierce said.

ITR hopes to have electronic tolling installed on the entire 157-mile tollway by the end of the year. After that, toll increases ranging from 72 percent to 119 percent will take effect.

The 40 percent discount was a concession offered by Gov. Mitch Daniels to get toll road privatization legislation passed. That discount will remain in effect through 2016.