05.27.22

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.7 Million Grant To Rebuild Rail Bridges In Quincy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,769,767 in funding through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program. This funding will be used to replace two bridge spans on the Burlington Junction Railroad in Quincy, Illinois. Both the Curtis Creek and Ghost Hollow Creek bridges are now more than 100 years old and pose a safety concern that would have eventually led to the closure of the Marblehead Spur rail line without this grant funding. The CRISI grant funds will be used to replace the deteriorating bridges, ensure safe and economical transportation of customers’ shipments, enable continued industrial improvement, and avoid the need to divert thousands of truck shipments onto area highways.

“For more than 100 years, the Quincy community has relied on the Burlington Junction to keep the local economy moving. The wear and tear on both the Curtis Creek and Ghost Hollow Bridges has become a serious cause for concern, both in terms of the community’s safety and the continued transport of goods at the junction,” said Durbin. “This generous grant from FRA will allow Quincy to rebuild and replace its crumbling infrastructure and meet the demands of a 21st century economy.”

“This infusion of federal support to Quincy will upgrade a critical link in our state’s rail network and help improve reliability and safety for both rail and roadway users,” said Duckworth. “I’ll keep working with Senator Durbin to make sure Quincy and other communities all across Illinois receive the tools they need to create good-paying jobs, ensure safer transit and improve infrastructure in every corner of our state.”

Last December, Durbin wrote to then-FRA Deputy Administrator Amit Bose to extend his support for Quincy receiving this grant funding.   

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