The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad was an older, established railroad encompassing the Chicago area, but had very little train activity for decades. Its purchase by Canadian National Railroad in 2007 meant the number of trains was going to increase substantially, creating mobility and congestion headaches where the tracks crossed main arterial highways in the suburbs. Local businesses, residents, and police and fire were concerned because they were used to crossing the tracks without worry. IDOT addressed this with a $75 million overpass project. The new overpass spans the existing tracks, with space reserved to accommodate the future expansion of Metra commuter rail. Currently accommodating two lanes of traffic in each direction, the bridge was built to expand to three lanes in each direction. The improvement by IDOT is making a positive impact on the community every day, equating to a savings of nearly 73 hours per day, or more than 26,600 hours per year, in motorist delay.
America's Transportation Awards 