New environmental study to begin for Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail

Public invited to open houses

[February 24, 2011]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration have recently begun a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement to study the effects of potential additional improvements along the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor. Illinois received $1.25 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds in 2010 to complete the environmental study.

The purpose of this project is to expand the frequency of high-speed rail between Chicago and St. Louis, which includes the full build-out of an additional second track and other improvements. The current corridor operates on a single track that is shared by both traditional freight and  Amtrak passenger rail service.

"The study provides Illinois with a great opportunity to examine additional enhancement possibilities on the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "We hope Illinoisans also will take the opportunity to attend these public information meetings and help us by taking part in the process."

IDOT is hosting five open house meetings to seek public input regarding the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail project. The public is invited to stop by anytime between 4 and 7 p.m. to learn more about the project and provide feedback at the following meetings:

• Joliet -- Tuesday, March 1
  Jacob Henry Mansion, Victorian Ballroom, 20 S. Eastern Ave., Joliet, IL 60433

• Bloomington -- Wednesday, March 2
  Double Tree Hotel, Brickyard 1 & 2, 10 Brickyard Drive, Bloomington, IL 61701

• Springfield -- Thursday, March 3
  Prairie Capitol Convention Center, Room B11, One Convention Center Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701

• Carlinville -- Tuesday, March 8
  Blackburn College, Demuzio Campus Center, 700 College Ave., Carlinville, IL 62626

• Alton -- Wednesday, March 9
  Holiday Inn, Ballroom, 3800 Homer Adams Parkway, Alton, IL 62002

The meetings will be accessible to people with disabilities. Anyone needing special assistance should contact Paula Hughes of Vector Communications Corp. at 314-621-5566. People planning to attend who will need a sign language interpreter or other similar accommodations should give notice at least five days prior to the meeting by calling through TTY/TTD 800-526-0844 or 711; for TTY Spanish users, 800-501-0864 or 711; and for Telebraille, 877-526-6670.

[Text from Illinois Department of Transportation file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]