Press Release: Cross urges Gov. to sign bill to create Illiana Expressway
May 17, 2010
Rep. Cross urges Gov. to sign bill for Illiana Expressway
SB 3659 passes Illinois House and Senate
Rep. Tom Cross urges Governor Quinn to sign legislation that helps pave the way for the Illiana Expressway that would provide a much faster and direct connection from Illinois to Indiana, create jobs and relieve traffic congestion in and around the south suburbs.
“This legislation would create a private-public partnership to build an interstate-quality superhighway for residents of the 84th district to use,” said Cross. “We predict it will also create tens of thousands of jobs before, during, and after the expressway is completed.”
The Illiana Expressway will run through Will County and will connect Interstate 55 in Illinois with Interstate 65 in Indiana.
Upon the governor’s signature, according to the Illiana Expressway Act, the contractors will be selected through the state’s official bidding process. The Illinois Department of Transportation and an independent advisor will select the top two finalists. Those contractors’ applications will ultimately have to be reviewed by the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) and the Procurement Policy Board (PPB). CGFA and the PPB will submit its reports to IDOT and a final recommendation will be made to the Governor.
When this project gets underway, the Local 150, International Union of Operating Engineers estimates at least 40,000 jobs will be created during the construction of the 53 mile expressway.
“Legislators’ bipartisan support of the Illiana Expressway shows how badly needed this road is. The Illiana would be a tremendous step in the right direction, bringing jobs and economic development while at the same time helping to reestablish the region as the transportation hub of America,” said James M. Sweeney, President-Business Manger, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. “Daniel Burnham had the idea of the Illiana more than 100 years ago, and it is exciting to see it gaining momentum.”
“Not only will the new construction jobs provide a huge boost to our economy, this project will also provide great industry and job growth potential as well as residential growth along the new expressway for years to come,” said Cross.