Joining with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced his six-year long plan for Illinois highway infrastructure improvement, as well as the return of Amtrak train service.
Pritzker detailed the plan in a press conference and news release held on Wednesday May 19, outlining the goals of the $20.7 billion plan.
Fueled by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the infrastructure campaign seeks to reinforce Illinois as a transportation hub and create jobs in the wake of the late stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new six-year plan seeks to continue to build on and improve Illinois roadways, continuing work that has already lead to the improvement of 2,700 miles of state and local roadways and 290 bridges over the past two years.
“With all that’s been built over the last two years, even through a global pandemic, today we are announcing the new Multi-Year Plan for the next six years that will reconstruct over 2,700 more miles of roads and nearly 8 million square feet of bridges. And of course, the projects in this MYP will continue to create and support hundreds of thousands of jobs for hardworking Illinoisans across our state – bolstering our pandemic recovery in yet one more way,” Pritzker says. “Rebuild Illinois is about investing for the future – supporting this generation and the next, making sure we have good jobs and the roads to get there, and building a state where opportunity is just around the corner for everyone, no matter where you’re standing.”
The project used data such as pavement conditions, traffic volumes and crash history to determine how funds would be distributed. Investments include $5.79 billion for highway reconstruction and preservation, $4.82 billion for bridge improvements, $2.59 billion for strategic expansion, $1.43 billion for system support such as engineering and land acquisition, and $1.21 billion for safety and system modernizations.
In addition, Pritzker also detailed the reopening of full Amtrak service made possible by declining COVID-19 statistics and the increasing demand for public transportation.
The Chicago-Milwaukee line is expected to resume next week, and the Chicago-Quincy, Chicago-Carbondale, and Chicago-St. Louis lines are set to return to full capacity by mid-July.
Pritzker also briefly mentioned the long-developed Moline-Chicago Amtrak route's place in his plan, saying, "My administration recognizes the value of these routes which is why rebuild Illinois dedicates over 1 billion to rail including reestablishing routes to Rockford as well as the Quad Cities."