Blagojevich administration announces $9.15 Billion Multi-Year Road Program

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Tim Martin today unveiled the state's proposed Highway Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2006 - 2011. The $9.15 billion Multi-Year Highway Program moves forward with key modernization and expansion efforts while also focusing on maintenance of the current system. Separate from the plan is $1.5 billion for transportation improvements under the Opportunity Returns program - the Governor's innovative regional approach to job creation.

"We are making key investments in transportation to keep our economy moving forward, like reconstructing the Ryan and Kingery on Chicago's south side, upgrading 74 in Peoria and laying the groundwork for more river crossings in the Metro East," Governor Blagojevich said. "We're moving ahead in Northwest Illinois on US 20, US 51 from Decatur to Pana and US 67 and 136 in Western Illinois."

The FY 2006-11 MYP is based upon conservative estimates of federal, state and local funding, including $5.387 billion in federal funds, $3.361 billion in state funds and $402 million in local funds. It has been trimmed back from seven years, but due to the uncertainty of a federal highway bill the MYP remains longer than the traditional five-year plan.

The federal portion of the MYP is conservatively based upon current federal formula funding levels. The Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21) expired in the fall of 2003 and continues to be extended into 2005, something that hurts Illinois because under TEA-21 Illinois is a donor state, receiving less money back from the federal government than it sends to Washington.

"We are working to improve our return from the federal government, but unfortunately it's been more than a year and a half since the federal program expired," said Secretary Martin. "Once we get a new federal bill that treats Illinois more equitably, we will be able to more accurately plan for future highway improvements. But as it stands, it will be at least Fiscal Year 2007 before we see any real impact."

The FY 06-11 MYP includes $6.653 billion for making improvements to the state highway system and $2.497 billion for improvements to the local system. Other highlights include:

· Improvements to 4,518 miles of highways.

· Improvements to 925 bridges.

· Provide $100 million in a new two-year Illinois High Priority Bridge Repair program to address state structures that are in need of expedited repairs.

· Provide $456 million for local benefits programs to help cities, counties and townships improve roads and support economic development.

The FY 2006 - 2011 MYP is estimated to be $9.15 billion dollars and due to the uncertainty of federal funding focuses more on maintaining the existing system. In past programs, projects for congestion mitigation and new system expansion were more of a priority, however, this year, very few new congestion mitigation or system expansions were included. Because of the lack of a new federal bill under last year's program the condition of the state's roads and bridges were deteriorating rapidly and so this year the Department refocused resources in order to better maintain more of the system in good condition. The Department's main priorities are as follows:
 
· System Maintenance: $3.273 billion scheduled for resurfacing/widening and safety projects on state maintained highways.

· Bridge Maintenance: $1.312 billion scheduled to address bridge needs.

· Congestion Mitigation: $1.564 billion scheduled to address traffic congestion. (No new major projects in this category have been added)

· System Expansion: $503 million scheduled to build new roads to increase access for economic development. (Few new projects have been added in this category)

Major Project Highlights
The following major projects are tentatively scheduled during FY 2006-2011.

Northeastern Illinois
· Interstate 55 at Arsenal Road in Will County.  Interchange reconstruction, bridge replacement, land acquisition, lighting and engineering are programmed during FY 2007-2011 at a cost of $33.3 million.  This work is being done in conjunction with the development of the Joliet Arsenal facility which, when completed, will be the largest inter-modal facility in the nation.

· Interstate 80 from Interstate 94 (Bishop Ford Expressway) to Indiana State line.  Construction of additional lanes for 3 miles, reconstruction, bridge replacement, interchange reconstruction and engineering are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at a cost of $168.9 million.  Of this total, $157.7 million is included in FY 2006 for engineering for contract plans, land acquisition, construction engineering, bridge replacement, retaining walls, interchange reconstruction, additional lanes and reconstruction.  Included in the FY 2006 funding is $11.5 million of High Priority Bridge Repair program funding.

· Interstate 94/90 (Dan Ryan Expressway) from 31st Street to south of the Interstate 57 Interchange.  Reconstruction of 8.5 miles of the existing local and express lanes, bridge repairs, additional ramps and engineering are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at a cost of $471.2 million.  Of this total, $213.7 million is programmed in FY 2006 for engineering, bridge replacement and repairs, retaining walls, and reconstruction.  Included in the total funding is $45.5 million in High Priority Bridge Repair program funds.  Of this total, $24.8 million is programmed in FY 2006.

· US 6 (159th Street) from Interstate 294 to Illinois 1 (Halsted Street).  Reconstruction for 2.3 miles, bridge replacement, intersection improvement, land acquisition, engineering for contract plans, construction engineering, utility adjustment and lighting are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at an estimated cost of $54.3 million.  Of this total, $265,000 is included in FY 2006 for land acquisition and engineering for contract plans.  TEA-21 provided $1.3 million in High Priority Project funds for this project.

· Illinois 22 (Lake Zurich Road) from east of Beusching Road to Quentin Road.  Additional lanes for 1.3 miles, and land acquisition are programmed during FY 2006 at an estimated cost of $12.8 million.

· Illinois 22 (Lake Zurich Road) from Quentin Road to west of Illinois 83 (Mundelein Road).  Additional lanes for 3.5 miles, land acquisition, engineering for right-of-way, design, location and environmental studies and contract plans are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at an estimated cost of $36.3 million.  Of this total, $150,000 is included in FY 2006 for engineering for design, location and environmental studies.   

· Illinois 22 (Half Day Road) from east of Illinois 83 (Mundelein Road) to west of US 45/Illinois 21 (Milwaukee Avenue).  Additional lanes for 3 miles, bridge replacement, railroad crossing improvement, intersection reconstruction, traffic signal modernization, land acquisition, and construction engineering are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at an estimated cost of $27.3 million.  Of this total, $22 million is included in FY 2006 for additional lanes, rail road crossing improvement, bridge replacement, traffic signal modernization, land acquisition and construction engineering

· Illinois 22 (Half Day Road) from east of Interstate 94 (Tri-State Tollway) to west of US 41 (Skokie Highway).  Additional lanes for 2.9 miles, land acquisition, and construction engineering are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at an estimated cost of $19.3 million.

· Illinois 59/US 30 (Division Street/Brook Forest Avenue) from Illinois 126 (Lockport Road) to US 52 (Jefferson Street).  Additional lanes for 6.3 miles, bridge replacement, retaining wall, and landscaping are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at an estimated cost of $62.4 million. 

Downstate Illinois
· Interstate 55/70 Poplar Street Complex in East St. Louis.  Bridge repair and bridge deck overlay on the Tudor/Piggot Ramps are programmed during FY 2007 2011 at a cost of $16.8 million.  In addition, a new deck is programmed during FY 2007-2011 at a cost of $4 million for the Poplar Street Bridge. 

· Interstate 55/64/70 Interchange (Tri-Level) in East St. Louis.  Reconstruction of the interchange at the three interstate routes is necessary to improve traffic operational conditions and provide access to the local street system.  Construction and associated work are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at a cost of $17.9 million.  Of this total, $95,000 is programmed for demolition in FY 2006.  There is an additional $93.8 million of work contingent on special federal funds. 

· Interstate 74 from Sterling Avenue in Peoria to Washington Street in East Peoria.  Interstate 74 through Peoria was constructed in the late 1950s to early 1960s and does not meet current interstate standards.  Reconstruction and modernization of 8.3 miles are estimated to cost $481.9 million, the largest downstate interstate modernization project ever undertaken by Illinois.  Approximately $390.7 million of work has been completed or is under way.  An additional $8.5 million of work remains in the FY 2005 program.  Projects to finish the reconstruction and modernization are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at a cost of $82.7 million.  Of this total, reconstruction of 3.2 miles bridge rehabilitation and construction engineering are programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $81.4 million.

· US 20 from Galena to Freeport.  The final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being reviewed.  Design approval is anticipated summer 2005 and will follow the Record of Decision.  ISTEA in 1991 provided $2 million in federal demonstration funds for this study.  In addition, the FY 1992 federal appropriation bill provided $2.1 million in other demonstration funds.

§ US 20 from Illinois 84 (NW) to southeast of Galena (Galena Bypass).  Engineering for contract plans began summer 2004 and is currently under way.  Continuation of engineering for contract plans, land acquisition for the 6.5 mile bypass corridor is programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $1.9 million.  Additional engineering and construction are not currently funded.
§ US 20 - Freeport Bypass.  Additional lanes for 6.1 miles and interchange reconstruction are programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $13 million.

· US 51 - Decatur to Pana.  Since 1990, the department has invested $43.9 million on upgrading US 51 to four lanes south of Decatur, including the completed construction for 9.2 miles from north of Elwin to north of the Macon/Shelby County line.  Land acquisition and new construction for 3.5 miles from 0.9 mile south of the Shelby County line south of Moweaqua to 0.1 mile north of Township Road 306 are programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $17.7 million.  The remaining work to complete the 8.6 mile section from 0.1 mile north of Township Road 306 to 2.9 miles north of Illinois 16 north of Pana is not currently funded.

· US 67 Corridor.  The US 67 corridor extends nearly 229 miles from Rock Island south to Alton.  The two and four lane corridor improvement costs awarded total more than $708 million and $104 million in projects are programmed during FY 2006-2011.  The estimated unfunded cost to complete the four-lane sections in the US 67 corridor from Macomb southward to the Alton Bypass exceeds $1.3 billion.

§ US 67 from US 136 to Illinois 101.  Archaeological survey and engineering for contract plans for the US 67 interchange at US 136 / Illinois 336 and 7.4 miles of a new four-lane highway from north of Industry to Illinois 101 are programmed during FY 2007-2011 at a cost of $3.1 million.  Of this total, archaeological survey is programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $100,000.  Construction is not currently funded.

§ US 67 from Godfrey to Jerseyville in Madison and Jersey Counties.  Construction of new bridges and utility adjustments are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at a cost of $25.2 million.  Of this total, land acquisition is programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $1.5 million.  TEA 21 provided $12.2 million in High Priority Project funds for this project.

§ Alton Bypass from Interstate 270 to US 67 in Godfrey.  Construction of the four lane Alton Bypass from Interstate 270 to US 67 in Godfrey is in progress.  The 6.5-mile segment from Interstate 270 to Illinois 143 is open to traffic.  Construction on the 7.2-mile segment from Illinois 143 to Fosterburg Road is under way.  Completion of contract plans and construction of the remaining 6.1 miles of mainline pavement and 1.7 miles of construction on cross streets from Fosterburg Road to US 67 in Godfrey are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at a cost of $75.7 million.  Of this total, land acquisition, utility adjustments and engineering for contract plans are programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $7.7 million.
 
· US 136/Illinois 336 - Quincy to Macomb Corridor.  A new four-lane highway for 21.3 miles from US 24 near Quincy to 3 miles south of Carthage and 1.2 miles from County Highway 18 to Deere Road west of Macomb are open to traffic.  The construction to provide 5 miles of four lanes and an interchange from 3 miles south of Carthage to 2 miles east of Carthage and the construction to provide 1.1 miles of five lanes from US 136 east of Township Road 266 to County Highway 18 are under way.  The work to finish the remaining 20.3 miles of four-lane highway from 2 miles east of Carthage to US 136 east of Township Road 266 is fully funded.  Continuation of engineering, archaeological survey, land acquisition, utility adjustments and construction from 2 miles east of Carthage to US 136 east of Township Road 226 west of Macomb are programmed during FY 2006-2011 at a cost of $115.6 million. Of this total, continuation of engineering, archaeological survey, land acquisition, utility adjustments and grading is programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $15.1 million.

· Illinois 5 (Blackhawk Road) from 24th Street to 38th Street in Rock Island.  Construction of additional lanes for 1 mile, land acquisition and utility work are programmed in FY 2006 at a cost of $7.7 million.

· Illinois 40 from Cedar Hills Drive to Illinois 6 in Peoria.  Construction of additional lanes, intersection improvement, resurfacing for 2.6 miles and associated work are programmed during FY 2007 2011 at a cost

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