A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 1 for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program’s 75th Street Corridor Improvements Project (75th St. CIP).
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recommended 26 projects to be awarded a total of $1.54 billion in federal funds as part of the FY18 Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program. USDOT had up to $1.56 billion available for grants.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and workers representing multiple union halls announced May 31 that more than 2,000 construction jobs have been created since its high-speed rail project started work.
Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program began construction on Project B1, its 34th project aimed at improving safety and keeping Metra and freight trains moving through the region more efficiently.
The intersection improvement project at Irving Park Road (Illinois 19) and York Road, which follows a railroad overpass companion project built on Irving Park Road, is now complete, according to The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
Canadian Pacific is praising its sales and marketing team for generating new opportunities and driving growth by focusing on customer service and a willingness to identify and implement total transportation solutions.
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has created the Short Line Education Fund to address industry training and certification needs.
A new grade separation, part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, opened at 25th Avenue over Union Pacific’s line in Bellwood, Ill., on Dec. 22.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has established the Build America Bureau, which will drive transportation infrastructure development projects in the United States by streamlining credit and grant opportunities while providing technical assistance and encouraging innovative best practices in project planning, financing, delivery and monitoring.
Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) has introduced legislation he says will provide a dedicated revenue source to invest in rebuilding crumbling freight infrastructure.
On October 23, federal, state and local officials celebrated the opening of the $142-million Englewood Flyover, a major railroad bridge that has eliminated a significant source of train delays on the south side of Chicago and has reduced emissions and noise from idling trains in the neighborhood.
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program partners and the Federal Highway Administration announced the availability of the combined Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (75th Street CIP).
Union Pacific (UP) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are making a significant investment in Chicago’s Metra West Line. Each will invest $45 million for the construction of a new third mainline track on the line from River Forest to Melrose Park and then from West Chicago to Geneva.
“Today, we are investing in jobs that will help solidify Illinois’ status as the premier rail center of the nation,” Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said. “This final piece of the West Line improvement program will enhance commuter and freight travel on one of our state’s busiest rail lines. Building world-class infrastructure is vital to a healthy economy and today’s investment will help get us there.”
The West Line improvements are designed to ensure smoother traffic flow and reduce conflicts between the passenger and freight trains that share the line. Earlier projects completed by Metra and UP modernized the signal system and added crossovers to make freight movement more efficient. A third phase on the West Line, improving the Lombard and Wheaton Metra stations, will be finished in 2015. The West Line third track construction is the final step that will allow the 59 Metra trains and 70 freight trains that use the line each day to operate at the same time, a critical step to improving the line’s reliability and efficiency.
The announcement was made during a celebration to mark the completion of a Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) rail project that included the construction of a rail overpass, the rehabilitation of two passenger stations and the addition of pedestrian tunnels in Bellwood and Berkeley and signal and track improvements along the UP/Metra West Line. The project created and supported 1,000 jobs and was funded primarily through a $52-million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, a $27 million commitment from UP and other freight railroad partners, other federal funding of $3 million and a $615,000 investment by the state of Illinois.
“Our nation’s system of bridges, rail and roads is the strength of the nation, tying us together and giving us access to the world,” said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). “Chicago remains the busiest rail hub in the United States, with more than 1,000 trains passing through the region every day. Protecting and investing in our nation’s infrastructure and specifically in Illinois’ transportation network, is one of my top priorities.”
“This is a new day for Metra, one in which we want to ensure that every project we execute puts commuters first,” Metra Chairman Martin Oberman said. “We are confident the West Line improvements will greatly improve the commuter experience.”
On November 2, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was joined by local and state officials to open the new 71st Street railroad underpass in Bridgeview, a Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) project that will greatly reduce traffic delays and improve safety at the former automobile/rail intersection.
A $9.7 million project to add freight railroad mobility and relieve congestion for the commuting public in the Chicago region has been completed in Blue Island, Ill.
U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), at a special House Rail Subcommittee meeting June 10 on rail issues in Northeastern Illinois, touted the Chicago Regional Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) initiative as a model for a successful public-private partnership
The $67-million grade separation project in Bensenville, Ill., which is part of the Chicago Regional Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), began construction Feb. 19.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined state and local officials and representatives of Metra and BNSF on October 17 to mark the completion of the Belmont Road grade separation project in DuPage County, Ill.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, joined by Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider and other state and local officials, said a plan to construct an overpass bridge at Illinois Route 38 and Kautz Road over the Union Pacific Railroad is moving forward,
