State Budget Committee approves toll road hikes, child care boost

Leslie Bonilla Muñiz | Indiana Capital Chronicle

A panel of state officials on Thursday green-lit a deal letting the Indiana Toll Road’s private operator raise rates twice annually — in exchange for a $700 million windfall — and the governor’s request to spend $200 million expanding a frozen low-income child care program.

The Indiana Finance Authority on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing increases twice a year on all vehicles traveling the 157-mile northern Indiana Toll Road, but it couldn’t take effect without State Budget Committee approval, Public Finance Director James McGoff said.

Class 2 passenger vehicles currently pay $16.21 for a full-length trip, with Class 5 trucks paying $87.49, with tolls rising once a year by 2% — or by the rate of inflation, if it’s greater.

Read the full story at https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/16/state-budget-committee-approves-toll-road-hikes-child-care-boost/