The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has selected four firms to submit final bids for the project on the Indiana portion of the Illiana Expressway.

The four selected firms are Indiana Corridor Transportation Group, Illiana East Mobility Partners, Isolux Infrastructure Netherlands, and WM Indiana-Illiana Partners.

The winning bidder will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Illiana Corridor and I-65 expansion in Lake County in the state.

"The completed Illiana Expressway will reduce truck traffic on local roads."

The Illiana Corridor is a proposed 47-mile freeway that runs from I-55 in Illinois on the west to I-65 in Indiana on the east, and located in Will County in Illinois and Lake County in Indiana.

The completed Illiana Expressway will reduce truck traffic on local roads, while improving safety, travel times as well as providing better access to jobs.

The finalists for the project have been selected by the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and INDOT from six teams that responded to a request for qualifications issued in November last year.

IFA and INDOT will meet with the short-listed teams in the coming weeks for detailed discussions on the procurement process.

A final request for proposals is expected to be issued this summer following the receipt of the federal environmental approval.

Illinois and Indiana are planning to commence construction on the Illiana in late spring/early summer of 2015.