In March, Governor J.B. Pritzker and Transportation Secretary Omer Osman announced a nearly $200 million investment in 22 port, rail and highway projects intended to improve the freight movement throughout the state. Among the projects is $18.8 million for a new bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on Illinois 50.
Administered by IDOT using federal funds, the Illinois Competitive Freight Program is designed to implement the goals of the Illinois State Freight Plan.
Chosen project proposals were ranked based on the plan’s goals: increasing safety, improving reliability, and boosting community-level commerce. Pritzker noted the selected projects will help port, rail, and highways combat bottlenecks, increase mobility, and improve the supply chain throughout the state.
In Decatur, their $10 million award will leverage additional public and private resources to remove a crossing that averages almost 200 trains per week, blocking traffic for 17 hours while creating congestion and impeding first responders.
Every year, 1.6 billion tons of freight valued $2.5 trillion flows in and out of Illinois, making the state one of the top states for freight activity.
“Under Governor Pritzker, IDOT is committed to improving freight movement locally, ultimately making Illinois more competitive in the global marketplace,” said Secretary Osman.
For more information on what these newly funded projects could mean for Illinois business, contact the qualified attorneys at Rock, Fusco & Connelly.