Congressman Peter Roskam - Serving the 6th District of Illinois

Transportation

2009 Transportation Budget Requests

Intrastate transportation and infrastructure improvements are one of the key functions of the federal government and an important step towards restoring stability and prosperity to the American economy. In preparation for the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization Congressman Roskam sought funds for these important projects in Illinois Sixth Congressional District:

$30M for the Elmhurst Rd. and I-90 full interchange project West of O’Hare Airport in Elk Grove Village. The I-90/Elmhurst Rd. interchange has been under consideration for construction of a full interchange for many years and has thus far undergone two years of hearings for public comment. A full interchange at Elmhurst Road would provide much needed congestion relief and would remove a significant number of vehicles from local roads and improve the efficiency of the numerous transportation companies that are located near O’Hare International Airport. This area represents the State’s second largest concentration of employment outside downtown Chicago. Approximately 130,000 people are currently employed by over 4,000 businesses in this vicinity and an estimated 120 million pounds of freight is transported in and out of this area on a daily basis.

“A full interchange at Elmhurst Road would provide much needed congestions relief, would remove a significant number of vehicles from local roads, and improve the efficiency of the numerous transportation companies that are located near O’Hare International Airport.” – Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson

$775,000 for additional ramps and expansion of the I-290/Thorndale interchange. Thorndale Ave. is a strategic regional arterial route that carries in excess of 50,000 vehicles per day. These monies would help provide an additional collector-distributor lane in the westbound direction and would provide improved safety of those entering and exiting the expressway. This project is strongly supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation and has received nearly 90% of the total funds necessary through previous federal authorizations.

“I am writing to offer our strong support of a critical transportation initiative we have worked in partnership with the State of Illinois and DuPage County to develop, specifically the Thorndale Avenue at I-290 Interchange Improvement Project located in the Village of Itasca. The referenced project would include enhancements to this intersection that would reduce delays and emissions, improve access to over 50,000 vehicles per day, plus enhance safety for motorists.” – Village of Itasca Mayor Jeffery Pruyn

$10M for IL Route 19 and York Road intersection and grade separation improvements including gateway enhancement in south Bensenville. This intersection has been identified by the Illinois Department of Transportation as a High Accident Location (HAL), and significant congestion and delays are caused at this grade crossing. It is estimated that travelers endure between three and a half to four hours of delays at this one crossing on an average day. The city of Bensenville has been strongly behind these improvements since early 2005 when initial public forums were held to better understand residential support. The congestion at this intersection is a major concern for the local residents, local industry, and O’Hare International traffic.

“This intersection was identified by IDOT as a High Accident Location (HAL) for the three year period between 2001 and 2003 and the congestion and delays caused by the at-grade crossing are much worse than the delays associated with the intersection operation…the Village of Bensenville has been supporting this project since early 2005…[and] has garnered community support. I am writing to give my full support to the Bensenville Gateway Enhancement Project.” – Village of Bensenville Mayor Frank Soto

$2M for Hill Ave. bridge rebuild between Glen Ellyn and Lombard over the east branch of the DuPage River. Currently this connector bridge has deteriorated to the point that emergency vehicles and school busses cannot cross it. This area of Glen Ellyn is covered by both volunteer fire fighters and supplemental support from neighboring Lombard. Should a situation arise, emergency vehicles would be unable to take the most direct route - this bridge. Glenbard School District 87 has been forced to reroute buses at an estimated additional cost of $30,000 annually to taxpayers. I have received letters of support from local mayors as well as the local state representative urging federal support for this project in conjunction with their efforts.

“I am writing to you to express the Village of Lombard’s unequivocal support of funds to repair the Hill Street Bridge.” – Village of Lombard President William Mueller

“On behalf of the Village of Glen Ellyn, I am writing to express our support for any available funding to repair the Hill Street Bridge.” – Village of Glen Ellyn Manager Steve Jones

$2M for Phase II & III engineering and construction of North Ardmore Ave. bridge rebuild south of North Avenue over the existing CCP rail line. This bridge has been inspected by the Illinois Department of Transportation and has been posted with a 10 ton weight limit. It acts as a major collector street that connects North Ave. and St. Charles roads. This is the only grade separation between Illinois Rt. 83 and Main Street in Lombard. This project has already been discussed at multiple public meetings and has received only positive comments from the community. As the only grade separation between Rt. 83 and Main Street, it is important this project undergo renovations for both the safety and ease of regional traffic.

“The Village strongly supports this project. Closure of the bridge would cause a detour of traffic from North Avenue to either Addison Road to the west of Villa Avenue to the east. Access to and from the residential and commercial areas to the south of North Avenue, including a Villa Park fire station and a commuter parking lot on the Union Pacific West Line would be severely restricted.” – Village of Villa Park President Thomas Cullerton

Authorization for the METRA Union Pacific West line upgrades and improvements project. The Union Pacific West line runs through several towns in my district and transports roughly 80,000 riders per day to and from the city of Chicago. Using public transportation reduces the number of vehicles on the road causing fewer accidents and less pollution. Additionally, the improvements proposed in this project would create faster routes and is forecasted to save roughly 2 million passenger hours annually.

Authorization for the METRA STAR line proposal. The STAR line creates a long-needed alternative to the automobile for nearly 1.2 million employees who commute to work in area businesses. By linking nearly 100 communities in the southwest, west, and northwest suburban regions of Northeast Illinois, the STAR line would fill a critical void for inter-suburban commuter rail service.