Latest news with #RebuildIllinois
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
I-57/74 interchange ramps reopening in Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The ramp from northbound Interstate 57 to eastbound Interstate 74 and the I-74 eastbound off-ramp at Prospect Avenue in Champaign will reopen Tuesday night. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced that this is the third new ramp being completed as a part of the overall I-57/74 interchange reconstruction project. Drivers can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through the area of the reopening. Central Illinois fire depts. respond to Mahomet apartment fire When possible, alternate routes should be taken by motorists. Additionally, drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,200 miles of highway and nearly 9 million square feet of bridge deck over the course of the next six years as part of Rebuild Illinois. This capital plan is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Five of Rebuild Illinois include approximately $16 billion of improvements across Illinois on 6,541 miles of highway, 686 bridges and 986 additional safety improvements. More information on IDOT projects can be found on their website. Additionally, IDOT District 5 updates are posted their X page, and area construction details can be seen on IDOT's traveler information map. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rockford to Chicago passenger rail funding included in new Illinois budget
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Just before midnight Saturday, Illinois legislators a record-high $55.1 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which for the long-gestating Rockford to Chicago passenger rail project. Gov. JB Pritzker the re-establishment of the passenger rail service in 2023 at an event in Davis Park. The $275 million project uses funds from the Rebuild Illinois capital program and will extend the service of the Milwaukee West Line and Union Pacific Rail beyond Elgin to stops in Huntley, Belvidere, and Rockford. In September 2024, Illinois Department of Transportation officials held in Rockford to give an update on the progress of the project. Metra will operate the train service. Since its founding in 1984, Metra has become one of the largest and most comprehensive passenger rail systems in North America. The system includes nearly 500 miles of track with 242 stations on 11 routes. The current plan is to run two trains, seven days a week, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The trip to Chicago is expected to take 95 minutes, with a possible station located on South Main Street, just south of downtown, on the Union Pacific line. The Illinois Department of Transportation has said the line will connect Rockford to Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Carbondale, and twenty other communities in between. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin lands $3 million state grant to build Fox River Trail underpass at Kimball bridge
The city of Elgin has been awarded a $3 million state grant to build an underpass along the Fox River Trail below the Kimball Street bridge. Gov. JB Pritzker announced $139.2 million is being awarded to 66 projects across the state, including the Fox River Trail underpass, through the Illinois Department of Transportation Enhancement Program. The program is part of Rebuild Illinois, which is designed to help make travel safer and more accessible in the communities that need it most, Pritzker said in a news release. With the funding being the largest amount in the program's history, bike lanes, sidewalks, trails and other improvements are going to be built, he said. 'This is just one part of the state's larger efforts to reverse decades of disinvestment and create more connected communities,' he said in the release. State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, helped secure the funding. 'This project will enhance the overall accessibility and usability of the Fox River Trail, which is important to me and something I think everyone can get behind,' Castro said. The underpass will not only enhance local travel and improve mobility, it will make the trail safer, she said. Cyclists and pedestrians 'won't have to exit the trail, cross the river at Kimball Street and then reenter the trail,' Castro said. The Fox River Trail is 45.7 miles long, starting in Algonquin and ending in Aurora. It is interrupted just before the Kimball Street bridge and then picks up again south of the bridge. Elgin is planning to replace the Kimball Street and Chicago Street bridges over the next five years. State inspectors found both spans safe but functionally obsolete, and the city is in the process of doing engineering and environmental studies to rebuild them. 'The underpass resolves current safety concerns by removing the need for pedestrians and cyclists to cross multiple lanes of traffic, making the trail significantly safer and more accessible,' city spokesman Jeff Knox said. Work on the underpass 'will be coordinated with upcoming improvements to the Kimball Street bridge to minimize disruption and maximize the impact of both projects,' Knox said. The village of Streamwood is also receiving a grant for more than $1.5 million to build a 1.1-mile, 10-foot-wide multiuse path along Irving Park Road. The path will connect with existing bike and pedestrian paths. Both grants are part of IDOT's commitment to improving nonmotorized transportation options and supporting local infrastructure development across Illinois, Castro said. 'Dollars we continue to put toward Illinois' infrastructure are revitalizing aging roads and bridges, creating jobs and growing the economy by increasing mobility across the northwest suburbs,' she said. 'Getting much-needed improvement projects over the finish line is a win and will benefit our communities for years to come.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois awards funding for Constitution Trail extension
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — The state of Illinois announced on Wednesday that it awarded funding for a trail extension project in Bloomington. Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation awarded $799,419 for the Constitution Trail Extension Project, according to information from IDOT. The project will expand the Constitution Trail from Lafayette Street to Hamilton Road with a 10-foot-wide asphalt multi-use path. Groundbreaking for Constitution Trail expansion at Heartland College The money for the project is part of $139.2 million that was awarded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, which is meant to expand local travel options and enhance quality of life in communities across the state. 'The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program is a crucial part of Rebuild Illinois, helping make travel safer and more accessible in the communities that need it most,' Pritzker said. 'Today, I'm proud to announce the largest investment in the program's history, with more than $139 million going toward bike lanes, sidewalks, trails and other local improvements. This is just one part of the state's larger effort to reverse decades of disinvestment and create more connected communities.' A total of 66 projects were approved through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Champaign Co. projects will receive part of $139M grant for Illinois transportation work
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Nearly $140 million in funding has been awarded to transportation projects around the state — including two projects in Champaign County that have been in the works for a while. On Wednesday, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced that $139.2 million has been awarded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. The goal of the program is to expand local travel options and to enhance the quality of life in communities statewide, according to a news release from IDOT. City of Champaign could help renovation of downtown building $3 million will go toward Champaign's Kirby Avenue complete street project. Project engineers told WCIA last year that the project would include replacing the bridge and adding bike lanes and pedestrian upgrades to the Kirby Avenue overpass. WCIA previously reported that the complete street project was a part of the city's comprehensive plan. Officials said they hoped to begin construction in the spring of 2026. Savoy will receive $1.3 million to improve the Prairie Fields path. WCIA previously reported that the project would create multi-pathways and connect to other paths in Savoy. Pritzker said the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, which is a part of Rebuild Illinois, aims to help make travel safer and more accessible. 'Today, I'm proud to announce the largest investment in the program's history, with more than $139 million going toward bike lanes, sidewalks, trails and other local improvements,' Pritzker said. 'This is just one part of the state's larger effort to reverse decades of disinvestment and create more connected communities.' Bus stop near Market Place Mall could be looking at new routes IDOT received 233 applications for an estimated $383 million in funding. IDOT said the projects chosen are based on their readiness and connection to transportation networks, as well as their ability to secure public support and provide public benefits. Areas with higher need are given additional consideration. 'When people think about where they want to raise their families, it's projects like these that really move the needle,' State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) said. 'When communities have complete streets, sidewalks and bike paths they become places people want to live.' You can read more about the project and the project's recipients here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
