Illinois DOT kicks off high-speed rail Tier 2 environmental studies

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will host a series of public meetings today through Thursday to provide details on high-speed rail projects involved in Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyses.

The Tier 2 EIS projects represent the next stage in an environmental analysis process related to the Chicago-to-St. Louis High-Speed Rail Corridor program, IDOT officials said in a press release.

The Tier 2 program will study in greater detail the Chicago-to-Joliet route alternative that follows the existing 40-mile-long Metra Rock Island District Corridor between the cities. Current Amtrak passenger-rail service between Chicago and Joliet is provided along the Metra Heritage Corridor. Meetings on this segment are scheduled for Chicago, Joliet and Orland Park.

The Granite City-to-St. Louis segment under study will evaluate increasing the capacity of river crossings to handle more rail traffic and improve reliability. The study area includes about five square miles located between Granite City and the St. Louis Gateway Station in St. Louis.