– The Pros and Cons of the Illiana Expressway finds various opinions  about how the route will effect residents who live in the proposed areas.  And---Tuesday, several hundred (700-800) people attended a public hearing at Peotone High School.

Another meeting is today at 5 pm at the Lowell, IN Middle School.

Officials with the Illinois and Indiana transportation departments said prior to the forum determining properties needed for the project is still a couple years away.

Three proposed routes are being considered to link the Will County area in Illinois to NW Indiana.

There are three corridors under consideration for a route that would go from Interstate 65 in southern Lake County directly to Interstate 55 in Will County. It is hoped that will reduce the number of motorists who  use Interstate 80.

Illinois transportation department program manager Steven Schilke said officials will pick the corridor sometime in September or October. Then, he said, they will spend the rest of this year and much of 2013 fine-tuning the route to determine where exactly the road should be built.

Once that occurs, then would begin an 18- to 24-month process during which land would be purchased in Illinois and Indiana.

Greg Kicinski, director of project management for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said officials from both states were listening to the comments of people who spoke at the public hearing to better determine a final route.

94.1 FM, WGFA