Duckworth, Durbin, Quigley Announce More than $81 Million in Additional Federal Funding for the CREATE Program

October 18, 2024

Duckworth, Durbin, Quigley Announce More than $81 Million in Additional Federal Funding for the CREATE Program

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) today announced $81,301,065 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) INFRA (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects) Program for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, which aims to reduce traffic delays, increase rail junction safety, and improve mobility throughout Chicago.

DOT's INFRA Grant Program provides federal funding for large projects of regional significance and is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that the lawmakers worked to pass in 2021.

Last month, Durbin, Duckworth, and Quigley announced $209 million in federal funding for the CREATE Program through DOT's Mega Grant Program, bringing the total with today's announced funding to $291,179,049.

"Investing in our transportation infrastructure is about growing our economy and making it easier, faster, safer and more efficient so people and goods can get where they need to go," Duckworth said. "This significant federal investment in the CREATE Program-which Senator Durbin, members of the Illinois Delegation and I have been championing for years-will help us modernize our rail system for all Chicagoans while supporting good-paying South Side jobs and strengthening our region's economy."

"Today's additional funding announcement is a major investment in the future of our transportation infrastructure. Chicagoans will be better connected because of the CREATE Program, which will improve the safety and quality of our rail system and roadways," said Durbin. "Senator Duckworth, members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, and I have long supported these investments, and I'm glad to see these federal dollars go toward improving safety and alleviating congestion in a region that desperately needs it."

"The CREATE Program is fundamentally changing rail operations in Chicago for both commuters and freight. Last month, we secured $209 million in funding for this program. Today's announcement marks another significant step toward fulfilling CREATE's mission to improve safety, alleviate congestion, and boost mobility throughout our city," said Quigley.

The CREATE Program brings together the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Metra, Amtrak, and the nation's freight railroads in a partnership to eliminate transit bottlenecks, boost the economy, and improve overall safety of the Chicagoland area.

Today's announced funding will advance the 75^th Street Corridor Improvement Project, a three-mile elevated rail corridor on Chicago's South Side, which approximately 90 freight trains and 30 Metra commuter trains use daily. The project will reconfigure track segments and signals at Belt Junction, add a third track to the Norfolk Southern line, replace and restore 14 aging bridge and viaduct structures, and implement mobility improvements on surface streets throughout the corridor.

Durbin and Duckworth have long championed rail improvements, having helped secure $132 million in federal funding to begin this project in 2018.

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