$59 million underpass to relieve Illinois congestion
Written by jrood
Construction begins next month on a $59 million railroad underpass in Downers Grove, Ill., at Belmont Road, one of the state's most frequently blocked crossings, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The underpass – 10 years in the making – will reduce congestion and
vehicle emissions, officials say. Commuters on Metra’s busiest line will
see only slight schedule changes during construction.
When the
underpass is completed in 2013, Belmont Road will consist of two lanes
of traffic in both directions, with a tunnel for pedestrians on the west
side of Belmont, Metra officials said.
More than 150 trains pass
Belmont Road each day, including 78 commuter trains on Metra’s
Burlington Northern Santa Fe line. More than 1.3 million passenger trips
were taken on the BNSF line in April, far more than any other Metra
line.
Freight trains, some nearly a mile and a half long, also tie
up Belmont Road. More than 5,400 vehicles are delayed each day at the
crossing, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Metra is
paying the bulk of the cost of the project, about $25 million. Nearly
$20 million is coming from the Illinois Department of Transportation,
$12 million from the Commerce Commission and $2.7 million from BNSF
Railway.
Preliminary work has already started. But major
construction is scheduled to begin July 6, when Belmont Road will be
closed for two weeks to allow for signals and warning devices to be
moved to a new bypass just east of the current crossing.
When
Belmont Road reopens, it will be one lane in each direction for the rest
of the year, officials said.
Starting July 12, nearly two dozen
weekday Metra trains will see minor schedule changes of one to three
minutes because the project will reduce the BNSF line from three tracks
to two near the Belmont station.
On weekends, several outbound
BNSF trains will depart 10 minutes later than the current schedule.
