‘Major’ Infrastructure Announcement on Tap For Governor

The state has advanced $250 million funds to the department to pay off the loan.

Governor Mike Pence will make what his office is calling a major infrastructure announcement concerning I-65 Tuesday morning in northwest Indiana. Road and bridge improvements have been a hot issue this year. In October, Pence unveiled his $1 billion 21st Century Crossroads Plan, while Republicans and Democrats at the Statehouse have announced competing plans for additional infrastructure funding.

Pence has not released any further details on today’s announcement, but has scheduled a news conference at Merrillville-based NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). Pence says the "Crossroads" proposal would boost funding for improvements through sources such as existing sales tax, bond refinancing and state reserves.

Democrats in the General Assembly have countered with a call for $2 billion in total spending. During last month’s Organization Day kick-off to the legislative session, House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-88) said roads and bridges will be the top priority and announced House Bill 1001, a bipartisan-sponsored proposal for long-term road and bridge repair funding.

Work is underway to widen parts of I-65 between Indianapolis and Lafayette. A bridge on I-65 in Tippecanoe County was closed for several weeks this summer, which helped fuel more debate about the condition of transportation infrastructure statewide.