I-290 Blue Line Reconstruction IDOT Funding
State of Illinois Funding
State transportation funding is generated from a combination of the Moter Fuel Tax, a gasoline sales tax, user fees and bonding that is managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The user fees – motor fuel tax (MFT), vehicle registrations, certificate of title fees, and driver’s licenses – contribute to regular, continuous annual funding. It is important to note that only portions of vehicle registrations, certificates of title, and license fees go directly to transportation funding.
Of these revenues, a portion of MFT revenue is dedicated to local governments and transit agencies to fund their own projects. The remaining transportation dedicated funding goes to the Road Fund and State Construction Account for state spending. The state programs these dollars through IDOT’s Multiyear Program (MYP).
Rebuild Illinois
The 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan is creating good jobs and developing needed infrastructure in each area of the state, investing $44.8 billion over six years, with $33.2 billion of that amount allocated to transportation.
Rebuild Illinois includes:
- $25.4 billion for Illinois’ roads and bridges.
- $1.4 billion for major rail projects and added Grade Crossing Protection projects.
- $150 million for aeronautic facility improvements.
- $150 million in new funding for port improvements.
Rebuild Illinois I-290 Blue Line Funding
IDOT’s 2026-2031 Multi Year Plan funds over $1.3 Billion of the I-290 Blue Line Project
On October 1, 2025, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the largest multi-year program in state history: $50.6 billion in over six years. The Fiscal Year 2026-2031 Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program will invest $32.5 billion in state and local roads and bridges.
Included in this plan is an investment of over $1.3 billion in the I-290 Blue Line Corridor Project. These funds will go toward replacing bridges, rehabilitating roadways and reconstructing interchanges and drainage systems along I-290. An additional $50 million will go toward 12.4 miles of standard overlay. These foundational infrastructure projects represent a significant down payment on the total reconstruction of the I-290 Blue Line Corridor.