Indiana Capital Chronicle: INDOT reports higher per-mile interstate construction costs in FY2026, cites materials and urban-work drivers

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on Oct. 2, 2026 that Indiana’s average cost to construct a centerline mile of interstate increased in the 2026 state fiscal year compared with earlier years. INDOT said its FY2026 average included projects such as Revive I-70 in Wayne County and Safer Drive 65 in Scott and Clark counties; the article also cites national FHWA cost-index trends.

The story attributes higher costs to several factors cited by INDOT staff and contractors: urban projects’ greater complexity, maintenance-of-traffic set-ups that sustain high traffic volumes, material and equipment price growth and a post-2017 shift from resurfacing work to larger capital projects. INDOT told the Chronicle it uses project bundling, 20-year asset management plans and alternative-delivery methods as mitigations.

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