Quinn announces Illinois' $12.84 billion road plan

[April 20, 2010]  CHICAGO -- Gov. Pat Quinn was joined by Illinois Department of Transportation officials on Thursday to unveil a $12.84 billion Multi-Year Highway Improvement Program for fiscal 2011-2016. The proposed program includes a $30.8 million bridge rehabilitation and interchange reconstruction project at Interstate 55 at Central Avenue in Chicago, which is expected to create 612 direct and indirect jobs. The entire plan will create an estimated 167,000 direct jobs over the next six years.

"I have made it my priority to invest in our state's infrastructure, which will spark economic growth in local communities across the state by putting more people to work while improving public safety," Quinn said. "With the recent passage of Illinois Jobs Now!, the first jobs and capital program in over a decade, we look forward to the most robust construction season in the state's history and the benefits it will bring to Illinois."

The project highlighted during yesterday's announcement at Chicago I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) and Central Avenue in Cook County is just one example of the many Chicago-area projects in the plan. This project includes bridge rehabilitation, interchange reconstruction, retaining wall, a railroad flagger, construction engineering and lighting programmed during fiscal 2011-2016 at $30.8 million. Of this total, $29.8 million is programmed in fiscal 2011. This project has also been approved for Illinois Major Bridge Program funding.

The proposed $12.84 billion highway program for fiscal 2011-2016 is based upon conservative estimates of federal, state and local funding, with $7.292 billion in federal funds; $4.888 billion in state funds, including $142 million in bonds from the Quinn's Illinois Jump Start Capital Plan and $2.49 billion from the Illinois Jobs Now! bond program; and $660 million in local funds.

The six-year program includes $10.103 billion for improvements to the state highway system, with $2.737 billion available for local roads.

"We are very excited about what the next few years will bring to Illinois," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "We are working diligently to get many of these projects started to help support economic development and help improve our state's infrastructure in communities statewide."

The proposed program for fiscal 2011-2016 will provide funding to maintain 4,739 miles of highways and replace or rehabilitate 763 bridges. The entire fiscal 2011-2016 plan is available at www.dot.il.gov.

[Text from news release from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]