Indiana interstate construction averaged $46M per centerline mile in FY2026, nearly 450% above FY2015

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 fiscal year (ending June). The article cites a FY2015 average of $8.4 million and describes the change as nearly a 450% increase; it also notes the Federal Highway Administration’s national construction cost index rose by more than 60% from 2020 through 2025.

The story attributes higher project costs to rising material prices, supply‑chain shortages and pandemic effects, plus tariffs and demand pressures for steel, concrete and asphalt. It says large projects such as Revive I‑70 (Wayne County) and Safer Drive 65 (Scott and Clark counties) were included in the FY2026 average and that INDOT uses practices like project bundling, 20‑year asset management plans and alternative delivery methods; the article also notes complex traffic‑management setups add to costs.

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