Federal Funding: Just a Small Piece of Pie

Illinois' congressional delegation was able to secure dedicated funding for a number of significant projects in the most recent federal transportation bill, but there is no guarantee that they will be built because state and regional agencies do not have the funds to complete them. In many cases, projects authorized in SAFETEALU include no construction funding or only a small portion of the total project cost, leaving the state and local governments to raise funds to complete them.

Examples:

•  $100 million for the Chicago Regional Environmental and Transportation Efficiency plan (CREATE) to improve road and commuter rail networks by decreasing freight rail bottlenecks in northeastern Illinois. 

Projected cost: $1.5 billion

•  $25 million for the completion of the Wacker Drive Reconstruction Project.

Projected cost: $350 million

•  $140 Million for the Elgin-O'Hare Extension/O'Hare Bypass, which includes extending the current Elgin-O'Hare Expressway east of I-290 to O'Hare Airport, and creating a new toll road connecting the western side of O'Hare with I-90 to the north, I-294 to the south, and I-290 to the west.

Projected cost: $1.345 billion