Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) today to announce a $34.6 billion program to improve roads, bridges, transit, rail, airports, and ports over the next six years. This funding represents a robust commitment to invest in people and communities backed by the historic Rebuild Illinois capital program.
“Since I signed our historic, bipartisan infrastructure program into law, Rebuild Illinois has undertaken a massive transformation of our state’s transportation systems,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And today, I am proud to announce IDOT’s new Multi-Year Program for the next six years — with $20 billion going towards transportation investments including 2,500 miles of roads and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck and $10 billion going towards our state’s rail and transit systems, airports, and ports. At its very core, Rebuild Illinois and this MYP are an investment in our future — one that leads to economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.”
Of the major elements in the program released today, $6.36 billion will go toward highway reconstruction and preservation, $6.4 billion for bridge improvements, $2.03 billion for strategic expansion, $2.48 billion for system support such as engineering and land acquisition, and $1.55 billion for safety and system modernizations.
For the first time, road projects that add capacity were evaluated by a new Data-Driven Decisions Tool supported by Gov. Pritzker for selecting critical projects to ensure greater equity and transparency in transportation planning and programming. The FY2023-28 Proposed Highway Improvement Program aims to improve 2,562 miles of roads and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck. Of the $24.6 billion over the six years of the highway portion of program, $3.7 billion is identified for the current fiscal year. Included in the program are scores of projects in each of IDOT’s nine highway districts.
Thanks to last year’s passage of the federal Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, IDOT increased the investment in Illinois roads and bridges in the six-year program by $4 billion, further advancing Gov. Pritzker’s goals to create economic opportunity and jobs, promote quality of life, and improve safety on both state and local transportation systems throughout Illinois. The 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan’s framework and investments ideally positioned Illinois, the country’s transportation hub, to take advantage of the increased federal commitment and leverage additional funding which will help rebuild the state’s infrastructure more quickly and efficiently. The new federal transportation package is expected to contribute almost $16 billion across all modes of Illinois transportation, with the state eligible to compete for billions more in discretionary programs.
In addition to the six-year program for roads and bridges, Gov. Pritzker also released the FY2023-28 Proposed Multimodal Multi-Year Improvement Program further demonstrating the commitment through Rebuild Illinois to build connections across the modes of transportation and strengthen the state’s entire transportation network, resulting in even more economic activity and job creation. The program identifies a combined federal, state, and local investment of $6.5 billion for transit, $2.5 billion for passenger and freight rail, $817 million for aviation, and $150 million for ports. […]
Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing a total $33.2 billion into the state’s transportation system over six years, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. Rebuild Illinois is not only the largest capital program in state history, but also the first plan that touches all modes of Illinois transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
Entering year four of Rebuild Illinois, IDOT has made approximately $8.6 billion in improvements statewide on 4,422 miles of highway, 412 bridges, and 621 additional safety improvements.
They need to pick up the pace.
- Chicagonk - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 10:13 am:
Still no Amtrak to Moline - Only 8 years behind schedule.
- Early Wynn - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 10:53 am:
The Byrne interchange might be fond by then and don’t forget tollways will be free
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 11:00 am:
Man, I’d give anything for high speed, reliable rail between C’dale and Chicago.
Hit Science and Industry in the day, home at night.
- Lefty Lefty - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 11:09 am:
I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Guzzardi. I love a couple houses off an IDOT roadway through my town. The most recent “improvement” increased the radius of the curb at the corners on the east side for no apparent reason. There’s no trucks on it, just a few cars every hour. It pushed the curb back about 4-6 feet from its original location. That’s a significant extra distance for a slow pedestrian or a group.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 11:12 am:
People can also not drive like maniacs.
- Cool Papa Bell - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 11:43 am:
To dangerous conditions for pedestrians.
Roadway design has plenty to do with it, but its all about driver attention. Way too many people are fully distracted by a cell phone or simply not paying any attention while they drive, or worse believe that they “own” all of the roadway around them for that moment in time.
It’s why I won’t ride a bike anymore on a city street. No one is looking out for you. Traveling in Asia a few years ago I was taken aback at the way the traffic lanes were divided for cars. Then I realized that it was curbed and divided for bikes. So much safer and useful.
- Just Sayin - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 12:54 pm:
Still no MacArthur Extension south of 72 to Woodside and Iron Bridge roads? That needed to be among the District 6 top priorities.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 1:09 pm:
===top priorities===
Why? There’s hardly any traffic on MacArthur that far south as it is.
- Ares - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 1:13 pm:
1. Amtrak extensions are usually held up by the host railroads, not by IDOT.
2. It’s far better to have a steady amount of work. Am OK waiting for prices to cool off, so we get better bang for the buck.
3. The big obstacle to more Amtrak Illinois service is the lack of platforms in Union Station, which should be relieved as METRA commuting patterns change.
For once, we have adequate funding and pragmatic Federal and State leadership.
- ddp76 - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 1:14 pm:
“It’s why I won’t ride a bike anymore on a city street.”
Right there with you. Though I live in the burbs, I am sometimes forced to used short stretches of street. But that’s very limited and only to get me to a trail or path.
- Cool Papa Bell - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 1:15 pm:
=Still no MacArthur Extension south of 72 to Woodside and Iron Bridge roads? That needed to be among the District 6 top priorities.=
That’s the icing on the cake around here.
The need is new interchanges from Sangamon Ave to South Grand and three lanes each way on 55 from the 6th Street split to Sherman.
- Just Sayin - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 1:17 pm:
==Why? There’s hardly any traffic on MacArthur that far south as it is.==
There is during evening rush hour, however. For Springfield standards. Plus if, and a big if, that Scheels sports complex ever gets built MacArthur will be even busier during tournament and competition weekends there.
Also it will relieve congestion on Route 4 and I-55 by giving another option for commuters going to and from Chatham and points south.
- Just Sayin - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 1:20 pm:
==The need is new interchanges from Sangamon Ave to South Grand and three lanes each way on 55 from the 6th Street split to Sherman.==
You could also make a case for 3 lanes each way on 72 from Wabash to 55/6th Street.
I also wonder if even 4 lanes each way from 6th split to the Chatham exit (Exit 88) might even need to be considered?
- Skeptic - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 2:51 pm:
“For Springfield standards.” Yeah, well in Springfield, a “traffic nightmare” is waiting two cycles to get through a light.
- Just Sayin - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 3:08 pm:
==Yeah, well in Springfield, a “traffic nightmare” is waiting two cycles to get through a light.==
Because the lights are over 40 years old and apparently Mayor Langfelder only cares about fixing the downtown lights and says phooey to the ones on Veterans that date back to when the road was built and Parkway Pointe was undeveloped.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 3:10 pm:
===You could also make a case for 3 lanes each way on 72 ===
Just stop.
- Baloneymous - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 3:40 pm:
===Also it will relieve congestion on Route 4 and I-55 by giving another option for commuters going to and from Chatham and points south.===
Yes, let’s make it a top IDOT priority to give Chatham commuters a 3rd option to get home during their horrible 8-10 mile commute.
- cover - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 3:49 pm:
==The need is new interchanges from Sangamon Ave to South Grand and three lanes each way on 55 from the 6th Street split to Sherman.==
I wonder if IDOT has considered making an isolated exit lane for I-55 southbound exits 98 and 96 (Clear Lake/I-72 east, South Grand/IL 29) so that incoming traffic can get up to speed *before* merging onto a very busy stretch of highway. Is there enough space available to have both an isolated exit lane and 2 through lanes?
- Just Sayin - Friday, Aug 12, 22 @ 4:15 pm:
==I wonder if IDOT has considered making an isolated exit lane for I-55 southbound exits 98 and 96 (Clear Lake/I-72 east, South Grand/IL 29) so that incoming traffic can get up to speed *before* merging onto a very busy stretch of highway.==
Maybe even the same thing for I-55 southbound Exits 90 and 88 (Toronto Road and Chatham exits too).