Illinois § 5

§ 5.

Legislative findings. (a) The State of Illinois and the State of Indiana are engaged in collaborative planning efforts to build a new interstate highway connecting Interstate Highway 55 in northeastern Illinois to Interstate Highway 65 in northwestern Indiana to serve the public at large. (b) The Illiana Expressway will promote development and investment in the State of Illinois and serve as a critical transportation route in the region. (c) Public private agreements between the State of Illinois and one or more private entities to develop, finance, construct, manage, or operate the Illiana Expressway have the potential of maximizing value and benefit to the People of the State of Illinois and the public at large. (d) Public private agreements may enable the Illiana Expressway to be developed, financed, constructed, managed, or operated in an entrepreneurial and business-like manner. (e) In the event the State of Illinois enters into one or more public private agreements to develop, finance, construct, manage, or operate the Illiana Expressway, the private parties to the agreements should be accountable to the People of Illinois through a comprehensive system of oversight, regulation, auditing, and reporting. (f) It is the intent of this Act to use Illinois design professionals, construction companies, and workers to the greatest extent permitted by law by offering them the right to compete for this work. (Source: P.A. 96-913, eff. 6-9-10.)