The word on the street is that the feasibility study on the Illiana Expressway will be released sometime in the first part of July. I can hardly wait to read it.

The study, funded by an aggressive Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, with the support of the state Legislature, will tell if this proposal has any fatal elements to its concept, whether it would generate sufficient users, how it could be successfully financed, and provide a variety of potential alignments across Lake County, Ind., and Will County, Ill.

There are a lot of very interested folks eagerly waiting for this report, from the tollway authorities to government bodies of all shapes and sizes to private investors, all of whom view this document as an essential first step in the process needed to transform this concept into reality.

Sadly, over the last decade, the two states have had trouble getting in sync on this project. For a while, pre-Blago, Illinois seemed to be the more aggressive supporter and Indiana had some political issues that dampened the progress in that state. Over the last six years since Rod showed up, the Illinois Department of Transportation has had trouble staying focused on this project. Gee, I wonder why?

The good news is that hopefully that chapter is closed in Illinois and now we can move forward. I applaud Daniels for carrying the torch while Illinois was incommunicado. I have yet to hear where Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn or Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig is on this project, but I would be surprised if they are not big supporters. We should know in short order.

I have little doubt that the study will come back with anything but favorable results. I have spent too much time on this issue to think otherwise. Now the big question becomes not where do we go from here; that's an easy one. A Phase 1 environmental study is next in line and should be started yesterday.

Who is going to see that this process is started is what concerns me. A favorable study is a worthless waste of money without follow-through by the two states in unison.

At one time, IDOT had promised a share of money to start this process, but that was three secretaries of transportation ago. Public and private supporters need to gear up for a full court press on leadership of both states to get this project past the talking stage.

The current spending climate for highway infrastructure at the national level, for bi-state transportation initiatives, should be a no-brainer and could be quickly woven into a study, design and build initiative; especially in the president's back yard.

Let's roll up our sleeves and get going before potential corridors are rendered impossible by new construction. We could even throw in a parallel rail corridor for good measure!

Michael Einhorn is Crete village president. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.