Today, Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) issued the following statement regarding the conclusion of an agreement between the Federal Railroad Administration, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Norfolk Southern that will allow construction of the Englewood Flyover to go forward.
“This agreement means immediate job creation, better Metra service, less congestion on our roads, more efficient freight movement, high-speed intercity rail, and a brighter future for the Chicagoland economy. I was proud to help win this federal funding last year and when negotiations on this agreement hit a snag, I was happy to step in to help get it completed. Construction will produce 1,450 badly needed jobs and an immediate reduction in delays for Rock Island Metra riders. This project is also the crucial first step to cutting delays on Metra’s Southwest Service line. And as a linchpin of the CREATE rail modernization project it will boost the local economy by helping to untangle Chicago’s congested freight-rail system. Having fought to preserve the flyover from budget cuts and having repeatedly sat down with both FRA and NS to urge them to come together to get this done, I’m pleased that the path to building the Englewood Flyover is now clear. I look forward to the completion of this critical project and I want to thank FRA Administrator Joe Szabo and everyone at FRA and NS who worked hard to bring us to this point.”
The Englewood Flyover is a bridge to carry Metra’s Rock Island line over the Norfolk Southern/Amtrak tracks at 63rd Street in Chicago. It will end delays that occur when trains must wait for other trains to cross at the rail-rail intersection before proceeding. By keeping truck traffic off our roads and making commuting on Metra faster and more reliable, the flyover will provide badly needed congestion relief that keeps our economy moving. In total, it will eventually benefit 40,000 weekday Metra riders.
Congressman Lipinski is the leading supporter of CREATE, having obtained the first $100 million for the program in 2005 and having helped to secure $233 million more in federal funding and $300 million in state funds. CREATE will reduce congestion with track, switch, and signal upgrades and by constructing overpasses and underpasses to end conflicts at both rail-rail and highway-rail crossings throughout the Chicago area. Earlier this week, Lipinski was joined by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to break ground on a grade separation in Bridgeview that is part of CREATE. Failure to increase freight-rail capacity through CREATE would mean missing out on 17,000 jobs and $2 billion in annual economic production in the Chicago metropolitan area.