[k1052]

Finally a bit of good CREATE news regarding the 75th Street CIP:

The federal government has awarded a long-awaited $132 million grant to help pay for a project that aims to clear up rail congestion around 75th Street, cutting delays for Metra, Amtrak and freight railroads.

The $474 million 75th Street improvement project would eliminate the choke point at Chicago’s Belt Junction, near 75th Street and Racine Avenue, where more than 80 Metra and freight trains cross each other’s paths daily.

Located near the Dan Ryan Expressway, the project is intended to cut train backups at three rail junctions and one rail-roadway crossing. It includes a new CSX Railroad flyover bridge to eliminate intersections with other tracks, a 71st Street underpass just east of Western Avenue to reduce motorist delays, and new tracks and crossovers at belt railroads, where trains currently travel as slow as 10 mph, according to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...605-story.html