Gov. Pritzker Announces $81 Million Award for CREATE’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project

CHICAGO- ​ Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation has been awarded $81 million via a competitive federal grant for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, helping to leverage a combined investment of $485.3 million from other public partners as well as the freight railroads. The investment is the single largest in CREATE’s history and will modernize one of the country’s worst freight and commuter rail bottlenecks.

“Since my first day as Governor, I've worked to ensure Illinois competes for every federal dollar available to better the lives of our residents,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This federal investment, the largest in CREATE's history, will no doubt help improve railway infrastructure on the South Side of Chicago in significant ways, all while creating well-paying construction jobs for our state’s residents.”

The $81 million is made possible by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) program.

In addition to the latest award, the 75^th Street project last month was announced as the recipient of $209.9 million in federal funds to rebuild track infrastructure, add tracks, and fix or replace 14 aging bridges and viaducts as well as implement mobility improvements on local surface streets.

The $219.2 million in federal grants will be matched by $70 million from IDOT, $29 million from Cook County, $5.6 million from the Chicago Department of Transportation, $11.1 million from Metra and $78.2 million from the freight railroads to put toward one of the largest elements and the linchpin of the CREATE program, which includes a total of 70 projects to improve the flow of goods, services and people over roads and rails throughout the region.

“The 75th Street project is delivering important safety and quality-of-life benefits on the local and neighborhood level, but its impact will be felt through the region, the state and the entire country,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “This investment further demonstrates that Illinois is the transportation hub of North America. It would not be possible without Gov. Pritzker’s leadership and the hard work of our federal, state, and local partners.”

The CREATE investment is on top of unprecedented investments in infrastructure thanks to Gov. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital program. Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing a combined total of $33.2 billion into the state's aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. The landmark capital program is not only the largest in state history, but also the first one that touches all modes of transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

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