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Last week, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider, BNSF Railway Co. executives, and federal and local officials marked the completion of a $16.1 million grade separation in Galesburg, Ill. Work began in July 2011.

The project, which eliminated a grade crossing along Main Street, involved the construction of an overpass over BNSF double tracks. The grade separation was built via a collaborative effort between the Federal Highway Administration, state of Illinois, city of Galesburg and BNSF.

Each day, about 100 trains moved through the Main Street crossing at speeds up to 30 mph.

"This grade separation improvement will cut down travel times, alleviate traffic and rail congestion, and improve safety in Galesburg for decades to come," said Quinn in a prepared statement.

This project primarily was funded by $14.5 million from the state's six-year, $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program. The FHA provided $809,000 and BNSF, $806,150 for the work.