In the Community

Empowering future innovators with STEM tools: ITRCC partnered with El Campito Child Development Center, a nonprofit supporting families in South Bend, to provide over 1,500 STEM-focused school supplies and educational toys. Our employees joined the center’s Fall Fun Festival to distribute the donations and participate in hands-on activities with children, promoting early engagement in science and technology.

Supporting those in need through grassroots giving: In our annual Stewardship Challenge, more than 40 employees collected over 3,700 hygiene products and household goods for Stepping Stone Shelter for Women in Michigan City. This effort reaffirmed ITRCC’s commitment to supporting vulnerable populations through employee-led giving.

Standing together for breast cancer awareness: Dressed in pink, ITRCC employees participated in the 2024 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Fort Wayne. Staff-led fundraising efforts were matched by the company, doubling the impact of our donations and reinforcing our team’s dedication to health advocacy and community solidarity.

Repurposing materials for public benefit: As part of our bridge rehabilitation projects, ITRCC repurposed concrete for reuse by the City of Hammond to improve a dirt access road to Wolf Lake. By keeping materials local, we reduced costs while directly benefiting a public recreational area.

Supporting local causes, one donation at a time: ITRCC employees continued to lead with compassion in 2023, collecting over 1,000 stuffed animals for Ronald McDonald House Charities, distributing 50 turkeys to local families in need, and donating warm winter clothing for Boys & Girls Clubs youth. Roadway Supervisor Dave Smith earned a CREST Award for rallying pet supply donations to support animal shelters.

Opening doors to future transportation careers: In 2023, ITRCC participated in a series of in-person and virtual job fairs to connect with students and recent graduates across the region. Our team focused on engaging in meaningful conversations and providing career guidance to inspire new talent. These efforts help strengthen the workforce and build a more connected future for the transportation industry.

Building alongside Habitat for Humanity: ITRCC partnered with the local Habitat in Northwest Indiana to support and participate in a two-day program building homes in Lake Station and Gary, Indiana. Employees used their volunteer days, and ITRCC made a substantial financial contribution to assist with material costs.

Collecting for the communities we connect: To help support the individuals, families, and communities most in need in the region, ITRCC hosts multiple donation drives each year. As a company, ITRCC seeks to encourage and inspire our employees to make a difference across the communities we connect. In 2022, our initiatives included a canned food drive, supplies for school children, and aid to a local animal shelter.

Growing partnerships: By investing in and supporting local businesses, we strengthen the impact of our own business and build stronger connections within the community. ITRCC is committed to building lasting relationships with suppliers.

Helping ospreys atop a toll plaza: When two ITRCC employees identified ospreys — a protected species only recently reclassified from an endangered species to a species of concern — building a massive nest on top of the radio tower at a toll plaza, they wanted to ensure the animals remained safe and caused no interference with communications or emergency precautions. These amateur bird watchers relayed regular updates on the birds’ behavior and their nesting status to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Creating a corridor of connectivity: After designing and installing conduit and fiber optic cable along all 157 miles of the Toll Road, ITRCC was equipped not only to enable innovative technologies to enhance our systems, but also to support more than 7,000 students in the Portage Township School District while learning virtually because of the pandemic. Our partner eX² Technology is managing the digital infrastructure and marketing the conduit to possible clients and enable connectivity throughout the region.

Supporting local schools during Covid-19: More than 47% of students in Indiana receive their meals for free or at a reduced price through the federally-assisted National School Lunch Program. Many schools also distribute weekend meals for students in need. But as schools closed their doors and moved to online learning during the pandemic, ITRCC established the Indiana Toll Road – School Food Relief Fund, donating more than $100,000 to help local schools offset the costs related to their school-backpack food initiatives. In total, 39 public school districts as well as private and charter schools received funds — up to $14,000 to cover the cost of meal programs.

Building community connections: More than two million people call the Toll Road corridor home. As ITRCC connects these dynamic and evolving communities, we collaborated with Minnis Consulting to to strengthen our relationships with local Northern businesses. By deepening these partnerships and providing greater insight into our operations, we’re able to build stronger, more effective connections.

Delivering growth for Indiana businesses: When we hosted ITRCC’s Vendor Forum at our Administration Building in Elkhart, we brought together nearly 50 regional vendors and contractors from a range of industries. Since our procurement team manages partnerships and new opportunities, all of our guests were able to schedule one-on-one meetings with the procurement staff to explore how we might work together in the future.