INDOT announce $127M MEGA grant for FlexRoad project on Borman Expressway
State and federal officials have announced a $127 million grant award received by the Indiana Department of Transportation through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program to support the I-80/I-94 FlexRoad project in Northwest Indiana.
“FlexRoad represents a transformational opportunity to improve mobility and safety, while also providing better access to employment hubs and destinations for those who live and work near the corridor,” Holcomb said.
“Strategies like dynamic shoulder lanes, variable speed limits, ramp metering and queue warning systems are innovative tools to help optimize traffic flow and make travel safer.”
The funding will supplement over half of the anticipated $212.5 million cost of the project, which will leverage Traffic System Management and Operations strategies to improve travel time, increase reliability, enhance safety, and reduce carbon emissions on the 12-mile stretch of the I-80/I-94 Borman Expressway in Lake County from the Illinois state line to I-65 in Gary.
“The Borman accommodates an average of more than 200,000 vehicles per day, making it the busiest interstate corridor in Indiana,” INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith said.
“Existing traffic volumes are forecast to increase nearly 20 percent by 2040, exacerbating already high levels of congestion and traffic incidents. FlexRoad allows INDOT to optimize traffic flow and improve safety while minimizing impacts to nearby communities.”
“The utilization of the Borman Expressway is a fact of life for countless residents of Northwest Indiana, commuters and commerce,” U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-1st, said.
“I am thrilled that this federal investment will complement the serious dedication of Governor Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Transportation to alleviate congestion, enhance our commercial corridor, and improve the safety and travel conditions on the Borman Expressway.
“Let us continue to collaborate and ensure that this invaluable project is implemented as expeditiously as possible to benefit all residents, commuters and commerce in our region.”
FlexRoad is currently in its environmental and preliminary design phase and is expected to be ready to let to contractors in fall 2025, with construction activities anticipated to begin in 2026.
Four alternatives were identified during an earlier Planning and Environmental Linkage study and are being further analyzed by the project team. Each alternative includes a combination of possible improvement strategies with increasing amounts of complementary benefits.
INDOT submitted its grant application in August with support from the Indiana Congressional delegation. The MEGA Program supports large, complex projects that are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility or safety benefits as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“The Flex Road Project will improve travel time, increase reliability, enhance safety, and reduce carbon emissions on a 12-mile critical commerce corridor,” Holcomb said. “We are pleased to join our federal partners in celebrating this significant USDOT grant ...”