: The America’s Central Port District in Granite City-Madison will receive federal grants for two projects. (Photo courtesy of America’s Central Port)

Six Metro East transportation infrastructure projects will receive grants this year through the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Competitive Freight Program.

The competitive grant program provides a mix of federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and state funding to support projects designed to enhance to the flow of freight through the state.

Several of the Metro East projects are intended largely to eliminate traffic “bottlenecks,” which are often the subject of complaints from everyday motorists as well as commercial freight lines.

However, the grant application process also gives priority to projects that improve safety, facilitate intermodal freight shipping, or promote advanced transportation technology.

“Illinois is at the heart of freight activity for the entire country,” said Gov. Bruce Rauner, formally announcing the grants June 5 in East St. Louis.

The six Metro East construction projects are among 23 that will share in a total of $43,040,166 in IDOT Freight Program grants statewide during the current grant cycle.  They were selected from among 46 freight grant applications received by IDOT this year; requesting close to $600 million in funding.

Five of the six Metro East infrastructure projects were named in the St. Louis Regional Freightway’s Priority Infrastructure Project List.

The list identifies projects that local business and industry leaders, elected officials and the Missouri and Illinois departments of transportation feel will have the most impact to the bi-state area’s freight economy.

In all, federal funding will provide some $19,318,102 to support the six Metro East freight-related infrastructure improvements, approved during the current grant cycle. Additional state funding for most of the road projects was announced in IDOT’s Fiscal Year 2019-2024 Proposed Highway Improvement Program on May 29. In some cases, additional local — or in one case, private — funding may be needed to cover project costs.

The federal grants were announced in East St. Louis to highlight the Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) of St. Louis’ plan to reestablish a previously existing track alignment — known as the M&O Junction to the Conologue Main — beneath the MacArthur Bridge.

The current track has four highway crossings; causing freight delays, traffic tie-ups, and safety concerns, Mike McCarthy, TRRA president, notes.

“For the past 15 years, we have seen explosive growth in barge transfer facilities along the Illinois riverfront,” said McCarthy. “New facilities have been constructed and existing ones expanded. These are high-volume, efficient facilities. Our rail and road infrastructure has not kept pace. Reestablishing the M&O Junction to the Conologue Main will allow us to use a route that has just two rail crossings. Trains will run at a higher speed and have a shorter travel distance.”

The total cost for the Conologue Main project is set at $2,415,740; with $1,932,592 covered by federal funding. The TRRA will contribute $500,000 to the project.

Nearby, the Ill. Route 3 Diversion Loop and Grade Separation project in the Village of Sauget will eliminate a notorious traffic bottleneck.  The $2,757,600 cost will be offset by $1,103,040 in federal funding.

Gov. Bruce Rauner, center, announces Metro East infrastructure projects.
(Photo courtesy of St. Louis Freightway)

To the south, the $3,225,000 reconstruction of Cargill Elevator Road, from Illinois Route 3 to the Mississippi River in the Village of Cahokia, will facilitate barge loading on the Mississippi River, IDOT says.

The roadway offers the only access to several international grain terminals. It serves a 15-mile section of the Mississippi River with the highest level of barge handling capacity anywhere along the river. The project will not only replace the deteriorated roadway but improve truck volume capacity, the department says.

IDOT will provide $300,000 in state funding to cover a portion of the project.  Additional funding must still be sought, the department notes.

At $19 million, the long-sought reconstruction of Ill. Route 111 interchange on I-270 is the biggest Metro East project to receive IDOT Freight Program funding this years. The cost will be offset by $13.6 million in federal funding.

The America’s Central Port District, in Granite City-Madison area, will receive two grants.

One will go to construct a new access road to the port from southbound Illinois Route 3. The projected $2,000,340 cost will be offset by $1,590,340 in federal funding.

A second grant will be used to provide $1,367,130 in improvements to the general cargo dock at the port’s Granite City Harbor. The facility supports the movement of nearly 3 million tons of commodities by river barge annually. Federal funds will cover $1,092,130 of the cost.

FAST grant funding is provided under the federal government’s National Highway Freight Program.

IDOT plans to award another $48,420,187 in freight program grants in 2019; and tentatively plans to accept applications for 2020, 2021, and 2022. However, the availability of National Highway Freight Program funds is not guaranteed for those final three years.

The Trump administration recently overhauled the FAST program to create the new Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program.

The INFRA program places emphasis on the use of local private sector funding to match federal grant funds.

The U.S. Department of Transportation on June 4 proposed an initial round of nearly $1.5 billion in INFRA Grants. However, no Metro East projects were included for potential funding.

The Illinois FAST projects announced this month are to be undertaken between 2018 and 2020. Applications were accepted from local project sponsors Feb. 16 through April 6.  Applications were reviewed by the Illinois State Freight Advisory Council during its April 23 meeting.

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Local rail, infrastructure projects get state, fed funding —–