UP to spend $85 million on Illinois infrastructure

Union Pacific Railroad will pursue $85 million worth of infrastructure projects in Illinois this year.

The Class I's plan includes $70 million to maintain railroad track and $10 million to maintain bridges, according to a UP press release.

Key projects include $6 million to replace 16 miles of rail on the line between Elburn and Fulton, and $7 million to replace 59,594 ties and install 27,497 tons of ballast on the line between East St. Louis and Chester.

This year's planned $85 million capital expenditure in Illinois is part of an ongoing investment strategy, UP officials said. From 2012 to 2016, UP spent more than $566 million on infrastructure in the state.

UP plans to spend $3.1 billion on capital expenditures across its network in 2017.