ROADS/BRIDGES: Illinois Governor nixes Illiana Expressway project due to state budget woes

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner rejected the proposed Illiana Expressway, which would have connected I-65 in Indiana with I-55 near Joliet, Ill., due to the state budget crisis.

The project conception began in 2010 with a memorandum of understanding between former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. The project was a joint venture with Indiana and intended to be a public-private partnership.

Illinois Department of Transportation officials decided "in light of the state's current fiscal crisis and a lack of sufficient capital resources, the Illiana Expressway will not move forward at this time. Project costs exceed currently available resources," a statement from Rauner said.

The project was estimated to cost taxpayers more than $1.1 billion. Supporters of the proposed toll road, including former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, said it would have created jobs and stimulated economic development.