Officials gather for groundbreaking for Chicago’s Englewood Flyover
Written by jrood
On March 5, Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Ill) joined House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig for the groundbreaking on the Englewood Flyover, which is now expected to begin this year thanks to $133 million in new federal funding.
This
marks a milestone for the CREATE rail modernization program, as well as for
Midwest high-speed rail. A CREATE linchpin that must be completed before other
major projects can move forward, the Englewood Flyover will slash Metra delays,
create an estimated 1,450 jobs and give the local economy a much-needed boost
by increasing transportation efficiency. The only Chicago-area member of the
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Lipinski is the
leading advocate for CREATE, which is designed to untangle the Chicago region’s
rail and transportation system.
The Englewood Flyover will
make high-speed rail possible by building a bridge to carry the Metra Rock
Island District line over the Norfolk Southern/Amtrak tracks at 63rd
Street in Chicago. It will eliminate 7,500 annual passenger hours of delay for
riders on Metra’s Rock Island District line, facilitate Chicago-to-St. Louis
high-speed rail and reduce freight delays. In addition, it is the critical
first step toward eliminating 32,000 annual passenger hours of delay for riders
on Metra’s Southwest Service line.
