Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $105 Million In Federal Funding For Rail Improvements
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $105,877,100 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program funding for six Illinois-based transportation projects, ranging from safety upgrades to improving mobility and constructing pedestrian crossings.
“Today’s funding is a major investment in Illinois’ future. Our state’s communities will be safer and better connected because of these infrastructure projects that support Illinois’ rail industry, roads, and pedestrian paths,” said Durbin. “Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to ensure our state has the federal resources to improve and expand Illinois’ infrastructure.”
“Investing in our rail infrastructure is about growing our economy and helping make it safer and more efficient for folks to get around,” Duckworth said. “This significant federal investment will help us modernize our rail system so all Illinoisans can access the commuter rail they need to go to work, go home and everywhere in between. I’ll keep working with Senator Durbin to help ensure our communities receive the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”
DOT RCE grants were awarded to the following Illinois-based projects:
- An Equity-Focused Alternatives Analysis for the Bradley Avenue Railroad Crossing, Champaign: $240,000 to separate the Bradley Avenue at-grade crossing in Champaign, Illinois. The project will explore potential grade separation methods and improve safety for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, and reduce delays caused by train crossings.
- Metra’s Smart Gates Rail Crossing Upgrades, Chicago: $22,000,000 to complete highway-rail grade crossing improvements and signal system modernization at 36 highway-rail grade crossings and one pedestrian-rail grade crossing along the Metra Electric District’s South Chicago branch in Chicago. The project will upgrade the electrical circuitry connected to the signal system, and construct and install new housing to store electrical components.
- At-Grade Rail Crossing Mitigation Plan, Stephenson County: $240,000 to assess safety improvements at all 26 at-grade crossings in Stephenson County. The project will assess the feasibility of alternatives for each of these crossings, either as grade separations, crossing closures, or design improvements for those crossings where separation or closure is not feasible.
- Gougar Road at Wisconsin Central/Canadian National Railroad Grade Separation, Will County: $27,172,100 to improve grade crossings on Canadian National track in New Lenox. The project will enhance safety and improve mobility as it will provide community benefits of reduced delays, better access to employment, and economic competitiveness and vitality to the area.
- CREATE Project, Illinois Department of Transportation: $43,125,000 to support grade crossing and bridge related improvements in the Greater Chicago region as part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE). This project will improve the mobility of people and goods and access to communities as it will aim to reduce vehicle delay due to gate-down time, improve railroad crossing safety, promote mobility and connectivity, and advance sustainability and resiliency within Chicago’s Clearing West neighborhood, the Village of Bedford Park, and the Village of Summit. Durbin and Duckworth have helped secure more than $800 million for CREATE Program projects.
- Grand Avenue Proposed Grade Separation, Village of Elmwood Park: $13,100,000 to support grade crossing related improvements on Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) owned infrastructure in the Village of Elmwood. This project will improve system and service performance and enhance safety as it will aim to increase efficiency of both freight and Metra commuter rail service increasing speeds from 30mph to 70mph for passenger trains and from 30mph to 40mph for freight trains.
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