2023 Indiana Code › Title 8. Utilities and Transportation › Article 15. Toll Roads › Chapter 2. Operation and Financing of Toll Roads › 8-15-2-5. Powers

Sec. 5. The authority may do the following:
(1) Construct, maintain, repair, police, and operate toll road projects (as defined in this chapter), public improvements, and arterial streets and roads under section 1 of this chapter and establish rules for the use of any such toll road project, public improvement, or arterial street or road.
(2) Issue toll road revenue bonds of the state, payable solely from an allocation of money from the rural transportation road fund under IC 8-9.5-8-16 or from revenues or from the proceeds of bonds issued under this chapter and earnings thereon, or from all three (3), for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of any one (1) or more toll road projects or for the purpose of refunding any other toll road revenue bonds.
(3) Establish reserves from the proceeds of the sale of bonds or from other funds, or both, to secure the payment of the bonds.
(4) Fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect tolls for transit over each toll road project constructed by it.
(5) Acquire in the name of the state by purchase or otherwise, on such terms and conditions and in such manner as it may deem proper, or by the exercise of the right of condemnation in the manner as provided by this chapter, such public or private lands, including public parks, playgrounds or reservations, or parts thereof or rights therein, rights-of-way, property, rights, easements, and interests, as it may deem necessary for carrying out the provisions of this chapter. The authority may also:
(A) sell, transfer, and convey any such land or any interest therein so acquired, or any portion thereof, whether by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, and whether such land or interest therein had been public or private, when the same shall no longer be needed for such purposes; and
(B) transfer and convey any such lands or interest therein as may be necessary or convenient for the construction and operation of any toll road project, or as otherwise required under the provisions of this chapter to a state agency or political subdivision.
(6) Designate the locations and establish, limit, and control such points of ingress to and egress from each toll road project as may be necessary or desirable in the judgment of the authority to ensure the proper operation and maintenance of such projects, and to prohibit entrance to such project from any point not so designated. The authority shall not grant, for the operation of transient lodging facilities, either ingress to or egress from any project, including the service areas thereof on which are located service stations and restaurants, and including toll plazas and paved portions of the right-of-way. The authority shall cause to be erected, at its cost, at all points of ingress and egress, large and suitable signs facing traffic from each direction on the toll road. Such signs shall designate the number and other designations, if any, of all United States or state highways of ingress or egress, the names of all Indiana municipalities with a population of five thousand (5,000) or more within a distance of seventy-five (75) miles on such roads of ingress or egress, and the distance in miles to such designated municipalities.
(7) Make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter, IC 8-9.5-8, or IC 8-15.5. When the cost under any such contract or agreement, other than:
(A) a contract for compensation for personal services;
(B) a contract with the department under IC 8-9.5-8-7;
(C) a lease with the department under IC 8-9.5-8-8; or
(D) a contract, a lease, or another agreement under IC 8-15.5;
involves an expenditure of more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), the authority shall make a written contract with the lowest and best bidder after advertisement for not less than two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Marion County, Indiana, and in such other publications as the authority shall determine. Such notice shall state the general character of the work and the general character of the materials to be furnished, the place where plans and specifications therefor may be examined, and the time and place of receiving bids. Each bid shall contain the full name of every person or company interested in it and shall be accompanied by a sufficient bond or certified check on a solvent bank that if the bid is accepted a contract will be entered into and the performance of its proposal secured. The authority may reject any and all bids. A bond with good and sufficient surety shall be required by the authority of all contractors in an amount equal to at least fifty percent (50%) of the contract price, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract. The authority shall require a bid, performance, and payment bond from a contractor for a project if the estimated cost of the project is more than two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). The authority may require a bid, performance, or payment bond from a contractor for a project if the estimated cost of the project is not more than two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000).
(8) Employ consulting engineers, superintendents, managers, and such other engineers, construction and accounting experts, bond counsel, other attorneys with the approval of the attorney general, and other employees and agents as may be necessary in its judgment to carry out the provisions of this chapter, and to fix their compensation. However, all such expenses shall be payable solely from the proceeds of toll road revenue bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter or from revenues.
(9) Receive and accept from any federal agency, subject to IC 8-23-3, grants for or in aid of the construction of any toll road project, and receive and accept aid or contributions from any source of either money, property, labor, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied only for the purposes for which such grants and contributions may be made, and repay any grant to the authority or to the department from a federal agency if such repayment is necessary to free the authority from restrictions which the authority determines to be in the public interest to remove.
(10) Establish fees, charges, terms, or conditions for any expenditures, loans, or other form of financial participation in projects authorized as public improvements on arterial streets and roads under section 1 of this chapter.
(11) Accept gifts, devises, bequests, grants, loans, appropriations, revenue sharing, other financing and assistance, and any other aid from any source and agree to and comply with conditions attached to the aid.
(12) Accept transfer of a state highway to the authority under IC 8-23-7-23 and pay the cost of conversion of the state highway to a toll road project.
(13) Enter into contracts or leases with the department under IC 8-9.5-8-7 or IC 8-9.5-8-8 and in connection with the contracts or leases agree with the department for coordination of the operation and the repair and maintenance of toll road projects and tollways which are contiguous parts of the same public road, including joint toll collection facilities and equitable division of tolls.
(14) Enter into public-private agreements under IC 8-15.5 and do all acts and things necessary or proper to carry out the purposes set forth in IC 8-15.5.
(15) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2-37.1 to make changes to rules related to a toll road project to accommodate the provisions of a public-private agreement under IC 8-15.5. A rule adopted under this subdivision expires on the expiration date stated in the rule.
(16) Do all acts and things necessary or proper to carry out this chapter.
Formerly: Acts 1951, c.281, s.5; Acts 1957, c.273, s.1; Acts 1959, c.285, s.3; Acts 1969, c.86, s.1. As amended by Acts 1977, P.L.112, SEC.1; Acts 1980, P.L.74, SECS.228, 229; Acts 1981, P.L.41, SEC.53; Acts 1982, P.L.62, SEC.10; P.L.109-1983, SEC.7; P.L.48-1986, SEC.4; P.L.386-1987(ss), SEC.9; P.L.18-1990, SEC.130; P.L.47-2006, SEC.9; P.L.133-2007, SEC.9; P.L.140-2013, SEC.6.