01.19.22

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $225.8 Million In Funding For Brandon Road Project

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $225.8 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for the Brandon Road Project to prevent invasive Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes.

“The threat of invasive Asian Carp to the economic and environmental resources of the Great Lakes is serious. It’s vital that we protect one of the Midwest’s greatest assets from irreparable harm,” said Durbin. “I’ve championed this project for over a decade, and I’m heartened by the Biden Administration’s support for the Brandon Road Project and their commitment to the Great Lakes. I’m looking forward to seeing this project come to fruition with the $225 million investment announced today.”

“Invasive species are a growing threat to our entire inland waterways system and to the countless Illinois communities and businesses that rely on strong and vibrant aquatic ecosystems,” Duckworth said. “The Brandon Road Project is critical in protecting the Great Lakes’ exposure to Asian Carp, and I’m pleased to see this support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal to ensure this project can continue to protect our waterways.”

Durbin and Duckworth have been tireless advocates for the Brandon Road Project and finding a comprehensive approach to the Great Lakes from the threat of Asian Carp. Through previous Water Resources Development Acts, they secured authorization for design and construction of the Brandon Road Project and increased the federal cost-share for the project, bringing down the cost for Illinois taxpayers.  Durbin was also instrumental in forcing the release of the original Brandon Road Study, a draft plan that paved the way for the project, after the Trump Administration stalled the report’s release.

The project will construct a new engineered channel at Brandon Road that will be used to test and deploy a range of technologies that will prevent Asian Carp from moving further north to the Great Lakes.  The funding announced today will allow the Corps to complete design on the project and begin construction.  Durbin previously secured $3.8 million in federal funding to begin preconstruction, design, and engineering on the project.

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