USDOT Awards $10M to I-290 Under Reconnecting Communities Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Illinois a $10 million grant through the Reconnecting Communities Program to fund the Reconnecting Independence Boulevard:
I-290 Land Cap project in Chicago. The project aims to addresses decades of community disconnection caused by the construction of the I-290 expressway, which severed Independence Boulevard and created a barrier in the historic Chicago Park Boulevard System, a 26-mile stretch of parks, boulevards, and squares. The project is estimated to cost just over $20 million.
The grant application highlighted the historical harm caused by I-290, which divided neighborhoods and isolated residents from vital green spaces and community resources. By addressing these long-standing barriers, the project seeks to foster equitable development, improve mobility, and restore a sense of community for residents.
Key outcomes of the project include:
- Reconnecting disinvested communities on either side of I-290.
- Constructing a land cap to fill the gap between northbound and southbound Independence Boulevard.
- Improving accessibility and safety for bicycles and pedestrians with new facilities.
- Enhancing community connectivity and fostering equitable development.
The $10 million capital construction grant for this project reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to modernizing infrastructure and reconnecting communities affected by past transportation decisions. It is a significant step toward building safer, more inclusive neighborhoods in Chicago.
Current News
CTA secures funding for West Side transit improvement design, construction
The funding will support further design work on the Forest Park Branch Rebuild project and upgrades to the Division/Austin bus turnaround. The Chicago Transit Board has authorized a pair of intergovernmental agreements with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and with the city of Chicago that will fund transit infrastructure improvements across the city’s West Side.
New National Report Ranks I-294/I-290/I-88 Interchange as Most Congested Freight Bottleneck in the U.S.
New national data shows the interchange of Interstate 294 and Interstates 290/88 in the Chicago region is now the most congested freight interchange in the United States, underscoring the urgent need to advance the I-290 Blue Line Reconstruction Project. This project is widely considered the most important transportation project in Illinois.
Chicago’s I-294 interchange takes over as nation’s worst freight bottleneck
The interchange of Interstate 294 and Interstates 290/88 in Chicago has dethroned the George Washington Bridge interchange of I-95 at SR 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as the most congested freight bottleneck in the U.S., according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual Top Truck Bottleneck List.
Granite wins IDOT’s first-ever CM/GC contract for$350 million I-290 drainage project
Granite Construction has been selected by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)for a construction manager/general contractor contract to for the I-290 drainageimprovements project in Chicago — IDOT’s first-ever CM/GC project.