WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign’s Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center will receive $2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Today’s announcement comes through DOT’s University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program, which supports colleges and universities’ research efforts to advance safe, efficient and climate-friendly transportation for future generations. 

“As a University of Illinois graduate, I’m proud to join Sens. Durbin and Duckworth to announce federal funding for transportation infrastructure research at my alma mater,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m excited to see how these resources will strengthen the transit capabilities of our state and improve the lives of working families – and I look forward to being a strong partner to the University’s research powerhouses from my role in Congress.”

“Whether it’s making it easier to drop children off at school, commute to work or more efficiently transport goods from one state to another, I’m sure that the bright minds at U of I will be working on transportation breakthroughs that’ll positively impact working families across America,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Budzinski in announcing this federal investment that prioritizes the advanced transportation of tomorrow and supports the next generation of transportation experts.”

“Illinois institutions are at the forefront of cutting-edge education, research, and development that positively impacts communities across the state,” said Durbin. “This federal investment will allow UIUC to continue discovering breakthroughs in how to improve our infrastructure, and I’ll keep working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure they have all the federal support they need.”

The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign will be working with Louisiana State University, Purdue University, SUNY University at Buffalo and University of Texas San Antonio on projects through the Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center.