Frequently Asked Questions
80/94 FlexRoad is an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) project to identify solutions to improve traffic flow and safety along Indiana’s busiest interstate corridor. It will implement innovative strategies to help reduce travel time, increase travel time reliability and improve safety.
The 80/94 FlexRoad project area extends over 14 miles from the IL 394 interchange in Cook County, Illinois to the I-65 interchange in Lake County, Indiana.
The project is expected to include Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) strategies to improve traffic flow and safety. TSMO strategies under consideration include dynamic shoulder lanes, variable speed limits, ramp metering, lane control and queue warning systems. Other possible improvements include improved signage, event management and interchange improvements at Broadway/I-65 to reduce backups and increase capacity.
Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) is a set of strategies to maximize the efficiency and safety of existing transportation systems. They are typically deployed as a set of flexible strategies that can be used throughout a corridor.
The 80/94 FlexRoad corridor is a developed area with limited right-of-way available for improvements without major impacts to businesses and homes in the area. These constraints are one of the reasons why TSMO strategies were identified.
Learn more about TSMO here.
TSMO strategies are innovative solutions that work within existing transportation systems and focus on possibilities largely within the existing footprint of the corridor. Benefits include smoother and more reliable traffic flow, improved safety, less wasted fuel and cleaner air, along with a more efficient use of resources – both funding and roadway facilities.
This project is in the environmental analysis and preliminary design stage.
The Project Team is coordinating with local, state and federal officials throughout project development. Input from the public is another important part of the process. The draft environmental document is expected by summer 2025. It will be accompanied by a public hearing and a formal comment period. The NEPA Study is expected to be finalized in late 2025.
Improved traffic flow, especially during peak travel times, is expected to reduce crashes along the corridor including rear-end crashes and crashes resulting from improperly changing lanes and failure to yield. Click here to visit the TSMO page for more information on how TSMO strategies improve flow and safety.
Four lanes of I-80/I-94 will be open in both directions most of the time. At least three lanes will be open in both directions during overnight work. There will be very short-term, rolling closures on I-80/I-94 to install overhead signage.
Shoulder closures and short-term lane closures are anticipated during fiber optic cable replacement in 2025 and 2026.
Local roads adjacent to I-80/I-94 that require work will remain open with short-term lane closures.
Closures will be needed for I-80/I-94 entrance and exit ramps within the corridor.
- Short-term ramp closures are expected to last up to two weeks.
- I-80/I-94 East to Broadway exit ramp expected to close for 60 days.
The Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) process is a collaborative and integrated approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmental, community and economic goals early in the transportation planning process.
There are several benefits of a PEL study including:
- Enable agencies to be more effective players in the transportation decision-making process
- Improve efficiencies by minimizing potential duplication of planning and NEPA processes
- Design transportation programs and projects that serve communities’ needs more effectively through coordination with resource agencies and the public
The PEL portion of the studied was finalized in spring 2022. You can read the I-80/94 Borman Expressway Planning and Environment Linkages
(PEL) Study Report here.
The PEL process brings environmental considerations and stakeholder engagement into the planning phase, as “the project” is defined. Doing so allows these inputs to be included in early decisions and reduces duplication of work during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process that follows. The PEL process also supports improved relationships between project sponsors, partner agencies and the public.
The 80/94 FlexRoad PEL study determined the purpose and need for the project and developed the alternatives to be studied in greater detail. The PEL Study Report was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) In April 2022.
The 80/94 FlexRoad PEL study determined the purpose and need for the project and developed the alternatives to be studied in greater detail. The PEL Study Report was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) In April 2022.
Two primary needs have been identified for the 80/94 FlexRoad project:
- Recurring traffic congestion – bottleneck locations that result in travel time delays, low travel speeds, and unacceptable levels of service, and
- Safety – segments of high crash rates in the corridor.
The purpose of the project is to identify corridor improvements that will:
- Increase the operational efficiency of the corridor by reducing travel times and increasing travel time reliability, and
- Improve safety in the corridor by reducing crashes.
Work on the fiber optic improvements is expected to begin in 2025 and be complete in 2026. Construction on the FlexRoad TSMO improvements is expected to begin in early 2026 and be complete in late 2028.
INDOT is the owner of the project and Parsons Corp. is the lead project development and design firm. To connect with the Project Team, reference the 80/94 FlexRoad project when visiting www.indot4u.com or calling INDOT at 855-INDOT4U (855-463-6848).
