Indiana Toll Road

The Indiana Toll Road, or more officially the Northern Indiana East-West Toll Road, is a limited access, divided highway in the extreme north of Indiana. It was privately financed and constructed during the 1950s, opening in 1956, and user tolls pay for its capital costs and maintenance. The Indiana Toll Road Commission ran it until 1981, when it was transferred to the Indiana Department of Transportation. It lies throughout its course no more than ten miles from either Lake Michigan or the Michigan state line. It feeds directly into two toll roads at the Illinois and Ohio state lines, the Chicago Skyway in the west and the Ohio Turnpike in the east. All of the Indiana Toll Road is designated as Interstate 90; all of the Toll Road east of the junction of Interstate 80. Interstate 90, and Interstate 94 is also designated as Interstate 80.

Related Topics:
Indiana - 1950s - Department of Transportation - Lake Michigan - Michigan - Illinois - Ohio - Chicago Skyway - Ohio Turnpike - Interstate 90 - Interstate 80 - Interstate 94

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The Toll Road's motto is "Main Street of the Midwest."

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Control cities on highway gantries are Chicago, Illinois and Toledo, Ohio.

Related Topics:
Chicago, Illinois - Toledo, Ohio

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Cities and towns for which the Toll Road gives direct access include

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• Chicago (continuing to and from the west on Interstate 90)
• Whiting, Indiana and East Chicago, Indiana on U.S. Highway 41
• Hammond, Indiana on Indiana State Route 912 and U.S. 41
• Gary, Indiana on Grant and Buchanan Streets, Indiana 912, Indiana State Highway 53, U.S. Highway 12, U.S. Highway 20 and Interstate 65
• Lake Station, Indiana on Interstate 80, Indiana State Highway 51, U.S. Highway 6 and Interstate 94
• Valparaiso, Indiana and Chesterton, Indiana on Indiana State Highway 49
• Portage, Indiana on Willowcreek Road
• Michigan City, Indiana and Westville, Indiana on U.S. Highway 421
• New Buffalo, Michigan and La Porte, Indiana on Indiana State Highway 39 and Michigan State Highway 239
• South Bend, Indiana and Niles, Michigan on U.S. Highway 31 and Indiana State Highway 933/ Michigan State Highway 51
• Mishawaka, Indiana and Edwardsburg, Michigan on a connector to Indiana State Highway 23/ Michigan State Highway 62
• Elkhart, Indiana on Indiana State Highway 19
• Goshen, Indiana and Bristol, Indiana on Indiana State Highway 15
• Constantine, Michigan and Middlebury, Indiana on U.S. Highway 131 and Indiana State Highway 13
• Howe, Indiana, Lagrange, Indiana, and Sturgis, Michigan on Indiana State Highway 9 and Michigan State Highway 66. The Michigan border sign is visible just north of this interchange.
• Angola, Indiana, Auburn, Indiana, and Coldwater, Michigan on Interstate 69

Between the Westpoint Barrier, near the Illinois state line, and the Portage Barrier, just east of the Willowcreek Road exit, tolls are collected directly by a combination of staffed booths and automatic coin-drop machines. East of Portage to the Eastpoint Barrier, near the Ohio state line, motorists receive a ticket upon entry. Upon exit, the toll is calculated according to a schedule of fares that increase with distance traveled. Both sections of the Toll Road assess fares according to a nine-class schedule.

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In 2005, a plan was introduced to privatize the Toll Road.http://www.in.gov/ifa/tollroad.html

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Travel plazas, which are all named in honor of famous deceased Hoosiers, allow access to gas stations and restaurants without exiting the Toll Road and are located at Portage (Mile Post 22), Rolling Prairie (MP 56), Elkhart (MP 90), Howe (MP 126), and Fremont (MP 146).

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