Logan County gets state funds for roads, infrastructure

[June 25, 2011]  CHICAGO -- Gov. Pat Quinn has announced a $100 million capital investment to address local transportation needs and put people to work throughout Illinois. The $100 million in Illinois Jobs Now funding will be distributed to local officials to repair municipal, township and county infrastructure, and improve public safety. Logan County will receive $161,370, divided into two payments of $80,685.

"The important capital investment will help communities throughout our state to address their infrastructure needs directly and create jobs at the same time," the governor said. "Our local communities are the backbone of Illinois and need to stay strong and keep our economic recovery going."

The announcement is through the six-year, $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now program and represents the second of five $100 million annual investments to fund municipal, township and county projects statewide. Projects will be selected and managed locally, with the Illinois Department of Transportation providing oversight. The types of projects that will be performed include street and bridge maintenance, upgraded traffic signals, new storm sewers and bike baths, sidewalk replacement, and pothole repairs.

"We are extremely proud to work with our communities so they can fix their roads and bridges and address other needed projects," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "This local component of the governor's capital program will not only stimulate the economy and create jobs, but improve the quality of life of residents for years to come."

The local component of Illinois Jobs Now is distributed to local governments based on the same formula as the state motor fuel tax. The funding just announced will boost the annual distribution of the motor fuel tax by 17 percent. A breakdown of the distribution of the $100 million by county, road district and municipality is available through an interactive map at www.dot.il.gov/blr/100mil/map.aspx.

Illinois Jobs Now is the largest construction program in state history. Under Quinn's direction, the Illinois Department of Transportation from 2009 through the end of 2010 invested approximately $7 billion to repair or rebuild 4,800 miles of roads and more than 500 bridges, creating an estimated 135,000 jobs. This momentum is continuing with more than $2.5 billion in road construction projects scheduled in 2011.

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