Indiana reports $46M average per centerline mile for interstate construction in FY2026, driven by inflation and big projects

Indiana Capital Chronicle reported Oct. 2, 2026 that the state spent an average of $46 million to construct a centerline mile of interstate in the 2026 state fiscal year, roughly a 450% increase from the $8.4 million average in fiscal 2015. The article attributes the figure to Indiana Department of Transportation data and industry sources.

The story quotes INDOT spokeswoman Natalie Garrett and Build Indiana Council executive director Brian Gould, who cited higher material prices, supply-chain shortages, pandemic impacts, tariffs, competing demand from data centers and the complexity of projects such as Revive I-70 and Safer Drive 65 as cost drivers. It also notes INDOT’s use of project bundling, alternative delivery and 20-year asset-management plans; the Federal Highway Administration’s national highway construction cost index rose more than 60% from 2020 through 2025.

Report a correction · Editorial standards · Our source directory

BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.