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Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced today that construction will begin in early September on the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail route.

An agreement between the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Union Pacific Railroad will allow upgrades to be made on an initial 90-mile segment of UP track to prepare for high-speed service.

The $98 million project, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will include improvements on a section of track that extends from just north of Alton, Ill., to south of Springfield, Ill. It then resumes just north of Springfield and stretches south to Lincoln, Ill. Upgrades will include the installation of new, high-speed rail, and concrete ties.

Work could be completed as early as December, according to a prepared statement.