The Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF) is voicing its support for the proposed Illiana Toll Road, which CAF says would create “thousands of high-paying jobs,” improve “the quality of life for residents of the region,” generate “wealth,” and cost taxpayers “nothing.”

“It is an indisputable fact of regional economies that as access to better transportation systems improves the region’s economy prospers,” said CAF Executive Director Dewey Pearman in a statement released on Friday. “This project would dramatically improve the economy of Northwest Indiana by increasing the quantity and quality of our region’s transportation network and improve the quality of life in the region by reducing the congestion on the Borman Expressway. The Illiana would improve the economy of the region in two significant ways—creation of thousands of high-paying jobs and creation of wealth in the region.”

“Based on three recently completed highway construction projects in Northwest Indiana it costs about $20 million to construct a mile of interstate highway,” Pearman said. “National data (indicate) that 40 jobs will be created for every one million dollars spent on highway construction. The job creation math for this project is simple. With 800 jobs being created for every mile of highway construction, a 40-mile stretch of new interstate highway running through Northwest Indiana would create 32,000 jobs. Since the exact route of the Illiana has not been determined, and will not be determined until after a comprehensive study is completed, the highway could stretch to 50 miles, creating 40,000 jobs.”

“Some, but not all of these jobs, would be high-paying building trades craft workers,” Pearman said. “Pay scales in the building trades crafts in Northwest Indiana range from $27 to $39 an hour, plus fringe benefit packages from $10 to $15 an hour. These are not short-term jobs. Construction of the Illiana would take close to a decade, thereby providing long-term job stability for thousands of area families.”

“But not all of the jobs created during the construction phase of the project would be skilled craft workers,” Pearman said. “The 40 jobs per million dollars of construction spending include jobs for businesses related to the construction industry, such as material suppliers and tool and equipment dealers. Plus, the personal income earned by all of these workers would be spent in the local economy, benefiting virtually every retail and service provider in Northwest Indiana—auto dealers, dry cleaners, grocery stores, furniture stores, and the list goes on.”

“The Illiana would create wealth in the region by raising property values,” Pearman said. “As access to transportation networks improves, the market value of property increases. Property owners near the Illiana, particularly those close to future interchanges, would see significant increases in their property values. This is perhaps the best way for a region to accumulate broad-based wealth.”

“Consider what Northwest Indiana gets out of this project—thousands of high-paying jobs, creation of wealth, and relief of traffic constipation on the Borman Expressway,” Pearman concluded. “And the beauty of this project is that it costs the taxpayers of Northwest Indiana nothing. Through the public/private partnership agreement that would build this project others would pay for all of these benefits for us. Ultimately, the benefits we receive will be paid for by the thousands of trucks and cars using the highway. These trucks and cars would otherwise be further congesting the Borman Expressway. Jobs, wealth, quality of life, and someone else pays for it. In economic development it doesn’t get any better.”

Posted 3/12/2007