Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
CHICAGO – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $83,500,000 in grant funding awarded to Illinois communities by the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program to help communities around the country carry out infrastructure and transportation projects with significant local or regional impact.
“Investments in rebuilding and modernizing Illinois’ infrastructure are critical to improve resident’s quality of life,” said Durbin. “This grant from the Department of Transportation will allow these communities to make improvements that meet the demands of the 21st century. Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to ensure our state has the federal resources needed to succeed.”
“I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is still at work benefitting Illinoisans by repairing and enhancing our infrastructure,” Duckworth said. “This infusion of federal support will go a long way towards more modern and efficient transit as well as more good-paying, local jobs. I look forward to continuing to support Illinois’s communities receiving much-needed federal resources.”
This $83.5 million RAISE grant funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Biden last November.
Recipients of RAISE grants include:
- Chicago ($20,000,000): The project will fund the construction of a multiuse path on an abandoned elevated rail right-of-way in the historically burdened Chicago neighborhood of Englewood, parallel to West 59th Street between South Lowe Avenue and South Hoyne Avenue.
- Springfield ($19,800,000): The project will construct a new railroad grade separation underpass at North Grand Avenue over the Norfolk Southern and Illinois Midland rail lines.
- East Moline ($23,700,000): This project will implement complete streets and streetscaping of 15th Avenue from 6th to 13th Street, 12th Avenue from 1st to 7th Street, and 7th Street from 15th to 12th Avenue. Streetscaping is planned along Bend Boulevard to 3rd Street and along 3rd Street. A new road and streetscape will also extend from 3rd Street along Bend Boulevard to 6th Avenue.
- Harvey ($20,000,000): This project will reconstruct existing bus transfer and rail station facilities into a cohesive intermodal transit facility with three main components. The first component will reconfigure the existing bus facility to have the boarding area adjacent to the Metra station, construct approximately 14 new bus bays for fixed routes and 4 layover bus bays, create a paratransit vehicle boarding area, and add a dedicated lane for riders disembarking. The second component will make Metra station improvements, including modernizing amenities and demolishing the existing elevated platform and replacing it with a heated platform. The platform will also be extended by approximately 36 feet to allow all doors to open. The third component includes parking and site improvements to replace the two existing lots with one 226-space lot, including more accessible parking and access.
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