DECATUR, Ill, -- A new $200 million investment in projects is geared towards helping improve freight mobility throughout the state of Illinois.
Governor JB Pritzker announced the Illinois Department of Transportation grants to create economic opportunity, improve safety and quality of life.
IDOT, along with local leaders, joined Pritzker in the announcement of 22 projects who will utilize the $200 million dollars to improve the movement of freight throughout the state which will create jobs.
The Illinois Competitive Freight Program is designed to help implement the goals of the .
鈥淔or the last four years, we鈥檝e invested billions of dollars in communities across Illinois to restore and renew all modes of transportation throughout our state: roads, bridges, airports, and transit, as well as pedestrian and bike routes. And today, I鈥檓 proud to announce yet another leap forward 鈥� nearly $200 million for the freight routes that have defined Illinois for generations,鈥� said Governor JB Pritzker. 鈥淭hese funds will be used for 22 port, rail, and highway projects in Illinois to address bottlenecks, increase mobility, and improve the supply chain up and down the state.鈥�
Pritzker said in a release 1.6 billion tons valued at $2.5 trillion of freight flows in and out of the state every year. This makes Illinois one of the top three states for freight activity, he said.
Funds will be dispersed to projects in southern Illinois as well. They include amounts from the National Highway Freight Program Amount, in addition to other federal amounts and a match amount. The total project costs are labeled below...
- $5,000,000 for Illinois 127 Reconstruction
- $48,000,000 for Illinois 57 Safety Improvements
- $11,679,234 for Fort Massac Rest Area
- $500,000 for New Port Access Road in Shawneetown
- $24,735,000 for Interstate 57 and Illinois 149 Interchange in West Frankfort
For more on the 2023 Freight Investment Plan projects and funding amounts, you can find that .