September 12, 2022

Duckworth, Durbin Applaud DOT for Prioritizing Infrastructure Revitalization on Chicago’s West Side

 

[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today are celebrating a significant infusion of federal resources to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program’s Ogden Junction project on the city’s west side. This support, which comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), will help contribute to increased rail speed and flexibility to reduce delays, more capacity and faster, more reliable travel times—all while creating jobs, making our rails safer and easing supply chain delays that can cause prices to skyrocket for everyday essentials.

“For nearly two decades, CREATE projects have improved the way passengers and goods move over rail, making Chicago’s railroad network safer, more efficient and better able to accommodate increased freight and passenger traffic,” Duckworth said. “While improving our infrastructure is vital, this project will do so much more—it will help reduce costs of goods, give time back to travelers due to more efficient and quicker trains and reduce traffic congestion, as well as create more good-paying, local jobs.”

“This project – funded through the federal INFRA grant program – is great news for communities throughout the region,” said Durbin. “Rehabilitating and updating this critical railroad track will improve safety, reduce rail and vehicle congestion, and create good paying jobs, and I’ll continue supporting this federal funding program.”

CREATE’s Ogden Junction project, which spans from the Western Avenue Rail corridor from Kedzie to 16th street, is expected to receive $70,000,000 to rehabilitate, replace, remove and upgrade nearly two miles of railroad track, signaling and viaduct structures, as well as build 10,000 feet of new track. As a result of the project’s completion, thousands of hours of Metra delays are expected to avoided, freight train conductors will expect fewer conflicts and faster speeds due to more visible and electronic signals and several local jobs will be supported and created.

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