U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Quigley (D-IL-05) today announced $305,467,517 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Mega Program. With this federal funding, the Illinois Department of Transportation will receive $209,877,984 for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program and $95,589,533 for the I-290/IL171 (1st Avenue) Interchange Project. These projects will aim to reduce traffic delays, increase rail junction safety, and improve mobility throughout Chicago.

DOT’s Mega Grant Program provides federal funding for large projects of regional significance and is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that the lawmakers worked to pass.

“Today’s funding is a major investment in the future of our transportation infrastructure. Chicagoans will be better connected because of these two infrastructure projects, which will improve the safety and quality of our rail system and roadways,” said Durbin. “Senator Duckworth, members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, and I have long supported these investments, and I’m glad to see these federal dollars go toward improving safety and alleviating congestion in a region that desperately needs it.”

“Investing in our transportation infrastructure is about more than just improving our roads, bridges and rail lines, it’s about growing our economy and making getting to work, school and throughout our communities faster, safer and more efficient,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to see this federal funding coming to our state today for two critically important projects Senator Durbin and I have been championing for years and with it improvements in these local communities, and an increase in good-paying jobs in our region and more.”

“This funding announcement is critical to helping CREATE in their mission to improve rail operations in Chicago for both passengers and freight. As the Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I have an in-depth understanding of the needs facing our freight, commuter, and intercity passenger rail,” said Quigley. “Luckily, the CREATE Program has stepped up to the task and broken ground on numerous rail improvement projects throughout the region. In May, I visited their Forest Hill Flyover site, where I witnessed firsthand the efficiency and safety improvements CREATE is making. From adjacent neighborhoods to the nation’s supply chain, I know that the benefits of this funding will extend far beyond Chicago’s city limits.”

The CREATE Program brings together the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Metra, Amtrak, and the nation’s freight railroads in a partnership to eliminate transit bottlenecks, boost the economy, and improve overall safety of the Chicagoland area.

Today’s announced funding will advance the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, a three-mile elevated rail corridor on Chicago’s South Side, which approximately 90 freight trains and 30 Metra commuter trains use daily. The project will reconfigure track segments and signals at Belt Junction, add a third track to the Norfolk Southern line, replace and restore 14 aging bridge and viaduct structures, and implement mobility improvements on surface streets throughout the corridor. Durbin and Duckworth have long championed rail improvements, having helped secure $132 million in federal funding to begin this project in 2018.

The I-290/IL 171 (1st Avenue) Interchange Project will reconstruct portions of I-290, reconstruct and upgrade the 1st Avenue interchange, and implement signalized interchanges at Van Buren Street and Maybrook Drive. It also will install a supplemental trunk sewer along I-290 and a frontage road sewer along Bataan Drive. This work aims to alleviate congestion and address flooding issues.

llinois Department of Transportation, the Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency forge new partnership to invest in corridor.

A shared goal of a modernized and improved I-290 Blue Line Corridor is advancing with action taken today to invest in a corridor development office (CDO).

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency (CMAP) are partnering to create a unified approach and advance progress on this critical multi-modal corridor with a commitment to improving mobility, accessibility and quality of life for motorists, transit riders, residents and corridor communities.

“Our most significant achievements in Illinois happen when partners and stakeholders come together and work toward a common goal,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “I-290 serves a vital role moving people across multiple modes of transportation, but it’s in dire need of improvement and modernization. This agreement with the CTA and CMAP is an important step toward developing a new vision to best serve the Chicago area and communities up and down the corridor.”

The I-290/Blue Line – constructed in the late 1950’s – was the nation’s first-of-its kind multi-modal corridor integrating highway and rail. Over the decades, the infrastructure within the corridor has aged and travel demand has exceeded the roadway’s design capacity resulting in poor roadway operations and safety. Additionally, the Blue Line Forest Park branch has deteriorated, suffering from slow zones and hard-to-access rail stations.

“Thanks to this partnership with IDOT and CMAP, the CTA is in a better position to advance its ongoing efforts to provide better, speedier, more reliable and accessible services to all Chicago transit users along the entire Forest Park Branch of the Blue Line,” said CTA President Dorval L. Carter, Jr. “In addition to serving all our riders, the Forest Park Branch is critical to Chicago’s West Side communities, connecting people to the Illinois Medical District, several schools and colleges as well as numerous growing employment centers.”

The partnership (formalized through a Joint Statement of Understanding) outlines a unified vision and guiding principles to improve mobility, and enhance safety and accessibility, among other improvements.

IDOT is contributing $6.25 million, CTA $3.5 million and CMAP $1.25 million for a CDO to provide strategic support toward program visioning, coordinating and sequencing projects, developing funding plans, supporting coordination with federal partners, tracking progress, and strategic communications and messaging.

At today’s CMAP Board meeting, a contract was awarded to global engineering and construction firm CDM Smith and their diverse team of sub-consultants. The selected team is comprised of 39% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) businesses, which exceeds the required 25% DBE goal. The CTA Board will take further action in support of this project this fall.

CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman said, “CMAP serves the region through partnerships, collaboration and convening to influence policies and solve problems. We can look to successes like the CREATE Program and Rebuild Illinois that demonstrate when we work together as a region, bring more voices together, we are stronger and can do more. CMAP is proud to be at the table again with our partners to bring innovation and creative approaches to improve northeastern Illinois.”

State leaders have already taken action to maintain this program as a regional and statewide priority. In 2022, both chambers passed Senate Resolution 31 calling for the federal government to provide resources necessary to expedite this program.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said, “The proposed upgrades to the Eisenhower Expressway and Blue Line offer us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to decrease commute times, reconnect communities and improve safety. This project has been a priority of mine since my first days in office. I thank IDOT, CTA and CMAP for their collaboration in advancing it.”

“I’m looking forward to this next step in our efforts to improve transportation along the CTA Blue Line and the I-290 expressway,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “We know this corridor provides our western suburbs with access to Chicago, and it’s critically important for the economic viability for the entire region. That’s why I’m a proud champion of this project and the smart investments we’re making to improve accessibility and mobility for the communities in this region.”