The Indiana Toll Road was financed and constructed by the State of Indiana during the 1950's and was opened for traffic in 1956. It is 157 miles in length and runs across the northern part of Indiana from the Illinois to the Ohio border. The Indiana Toll Road Commission was responsible for operating the road during the period 1956 to 1981 when management passed to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
In September of 2005 the State of Indiana issued a Request for Toll Road Concessionaire Proposals. The motivation of the State for taking this action was to generate an upfront concession rent that could be used to partially fund a ten year statewide transportation improvement program. After a qualification process, five groups were invited to bid on the concession. Four bids were received by the State in January, 2006, and Statewide Mobility Partners (a consortium consisting of Macquarie Infrastructure Group and Cintra Concessiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte S.A.) was declared the winning bidder. In June 2006, the concession transaction was completed with full operating responsibility for the Toll Road being transferred to the concessionaire. Table 4 presents financial and corporate information on Indiana Toll Road before privatization.