STATEHOUSE (April 28, 2016) – State Rep. Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) announced today that the Restore I-94 project will begin in May, with construction ramping up on four major portions of the highway stretching from Illinois to Michigan.
“We are taking care of what we have, finishing what we started and building for the future” Soliday said. “This interstate is not only important to our region, but also to the state and nation’s economy.”
Soliday, Chair of the House Committee on Roads and Transportation, said the interstate construction is necessary to keep Indiana moving forward as it serves more than 150,000 cars and trucks daily. The Restore I-94 project is one of many supported by House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1001. The legislation authored by Soliday provides road funding solutions for the state of Indiana.
HEA 1001 directs $186 million upfront to a local road and bridge matching grant account. The bill also redirects 1.5 cents of the 7 cents of sales tax on gasoline to the matching account as a source of ongoing funding and codifies the current equivalent of one cent already being dedicated to road funding. About $328 million would go toward state road and bridge preservation and maintenance over the next two years. In addition, about $505 million in local option income tax reserves currently held by the state will be returned to local units with $330 million dedicated to roads.
Visit iga.in.gov to learn more about HEA 1001.
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Rep. Soliday represents the city of Valparaiso, all of Center, Union and Washington townships and portions of Liberty and Jackson townships.
