South Shore project in Indiana officially breaks ground
Written by RT&S Staff
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announces $544.3 million in federal funding for transit projects.
Government Accountability Office
Munster, Ind., was the site of the official welcome for construction of the extension of the South Shore commuter railroad.
The South Shore currently runs from South Bend to Chicago, and the new West Lake Corridor, which will cost $945 million, will add two more stations in Hammond, and will create an 8-mile southern leg to Munster and Dyer. The work is scheduled to be complete in five years, and the extension will move rail service 10 minutes closer to Crown Point, which is the county seat of Lake County, Ind.
The cost of the project is being handled by state, local and federal governments, with each sector taking on about one-third of the needed funding.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb says the creation of an easier connection to Chicago will make Lake County more marketable. South Shore President Michael Noland says a trip from Munster to Chicago will take 45 minutes.
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