Tom Warne Report, 4 May 2012
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider unveiled “Transforming Transportation for Tomorrow,” the state’s first multi-modal transportation improvement program. The new program document combines IDOT’s newly proposed six year highway program with the proposed multi-year programs for public transportation, rail and aeronautics.
The six-year plan contains an anticipated level of $9.2 billion, including $1.8 billion for the 2013 annual program alone. The plan includes $6.5 billion in federal and $2.2 billion in state funding. The costs include the final $1.2 billion targeted from the state’s Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan and $454 million in local funds. The highway program will create or sustain nearly 120,000 jobs through 2018 and spark economic development throughout the state. The highway program includes maintenance of 2,302 miles of road and replacement or rehabilitation of 508 bridges.
In addition, state highways will see $6.6 billion in improvements over the life of the program, with $2.6 billion targeting the local highway system. In the state portion of the program, $3 billion will be for reconstruction, resurfacing, widening and other safety projects; $1.5 billion for bridge needs; $1.4 billion for congestion mitigation and $756 million for new roads and increased access for economic development.
Enacted in 2009 to include a $14 billion, six-year transportation improvement plan, Gov. Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now! program has invested more than $9.5 billion in the state’s highways system alone from 2009 through 2011.