(Courtesy of Illinois State Police District 12)

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Monday, April 5 that $7 million has been awarded for 21 projects that upgrade roads to accommodate local truck traffic, leveraging a total investment of $36 million that is intended to create jobs and boost economic activity in communities.

“Illinois is the country’s transportation hub, with freight activity a cornerstone of the state’s economy,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “At IDOT, we want our local partners to have the necessary tools to manage traffic safely and spur even more job creation and economic growth.”

Click here to view the projects that were awarded funding.

The grants are made possible through IDOT’s Truck Access Route Program, which allows counties, municipalities and townships to apply for assistance in upgrading roads to accommodate 80,000-pound trucks and become designated truck routes. A maximum of $900,000 can be awarded to projects that improve connections to other designated truck routes and businesses that generate truck traffic. Additional information on the program can be found here.

IDOT is investing in local infrastructure like never before through Rebuild Illinois. Last month, IDOT provided the third of six $250 million installments to local governments as part of the six-year, $33.2 billion capital program

Rebuild Illinois is the largest capital program in state history, and involves all modes of Illinois transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.