Indiana’s average interstate construction cost hit $46M per centerline mile in FY2026, agency says

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported Oct. 2, 2026 that Indiana’s average cost to build a centerline mile of interstate was $46 million in the 2026 state fiscal year (which ended in June 2026). The article says that figure represents centerline miles built as part of full reconstruction or added travel-lane plans and is up nearly 450% from the $8.4 million average in FY2015.

The story attributes higher costs to national price pressures and project complexity: the Federal Highway Administration’s national highway construction cost index rose by more than 60% from 2020 through 2025, and industry and INDOT sources named rising prices for steel, concrete and other materials, tariffs, competition with data centers for materials and equipment, and complex projects such as Revive I-70 (Wayne County) and Safer Drive 65 (Scott and Clark counties). The article also reports INDOT uses 20-year asset-management plans, bundles projects to limit traffic impacts and employs alternative delivery methods that involve contractors earlier.

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