IDOT Hosts Public Meeting on High-Speed Rail Improvements between Lincoln and Auburn July 22 in Lincoln

[July 16, 2014]  SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will host a public meeting Tuesday, July 22, 2014, regarding improvements between Lincoln and Auburn as part of the Illinois High-Speed Rail (HSR) Program. The meeting will take place between 4 and 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 217 Limit St., in Lincoln.

The open-house format will allow the public the opportunity to view project exhibits, provide comments and meet one-on-one with HSR team representatives. The public is encouraged to attend at any time during the event.

Work associated with the Lincoln-to-Auburn portion of the corridor includes the construction or reconstruction of sidings at Athol, Ridgley, Auburn and Elkhart. Sidings are secondary and alternate tracks that provide passing opportunities for trains moving in the opposite direction, as well as slower-moving, same-direction trains. The project also consists of at-grade crossing upgrades, signal updates, new turnouts and related work.

The Illinois HSR Program involves improving existing Amtrak service between Chicago and St. Louis, with the upgrades allowing trains to travel at speeds up to 110 mph. Portions of the corridor will be completed by the end of 2015, with the entire program completed in 2017, reducing the travel time between the two cities to 41/2 hours.

For specific program information and business opportunities, visit www.idothsr.org  Comments and questions also can be made by calling (855) IDOT-HSR (436-8477).

[Text received; ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION]