Critics urge state officials to reclaim privatized Indiana Toll Road

Lawmakers are urging state officials in Indiana to reclaim the Indiana Toll Road amid concerns over whether its bankrupt private operator can maintain the 157-mile roadway.

Chicago-based ITR Concession Co. filed for bankruptcy in Chicago last month.

It wants to sell the toll road lease to a new operator.

Indiana state Sen. Joe Donnelly calls the situation “a mess of epic proportions” and says travelers have complained of long waits at toll plazas, bridges that havenít been repaired in over a year and rest stops that reek of urine.

He has asked the Indiana Finance Authority to ensure road conditions are safe, toll booths are staffed and rest plazas and restrooms are clean.

Experts say ITR’s bankruptcy filing isnít enough to return the road to state control under terms of the 2006 lease.