advertisement

---

Last week, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced construction soon will begin on an overpass at Illinois Route 38 and Kautz Road in West Chicago over a Union Pacific Railroad line. The $26 million overpass marks the 1,000th bridge improvement project to advance since he took office, Quinn said in a prepared statement.

One of the projects included in the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program, the grade separation involves a bridge that will carry Illinois Route 38 and Kautz Road over the UP line to eliminate traffic delays at a grade crossing. Currently, UP track crosses Illinois Route 38 at a skewed angle just east of the signalized intersection at Kautz Road, which has caused delays and safety hazards for motorists, Quinn said. Construction is slated to start next month and conclude in 2014.

"Thousands of vehicles are delayed at this location as a result of heavy rail traffic consisting of 75 freight trains and 54 commuter trains passing through this crossing every single day," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider. "This much-needed CREATE project will move forward to minimize the delays to the traveling public, improve emergency vehicle response times, improve access for businesses and enhance safety in the area."

The project will be funded by the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program, which includes $14 billion for transportation. In July, Quinn authorized $1.6 billion for road, rail and transit projects as a part of the next phase of Illinois Jobs Now! The capital funding includes $211 million for 15 CREATE projects in 2013.