WASHINGTON — This week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) joined U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth in announcing $16 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program for Decatur, Illinois, to improve rail connectivity by supporting construction activities to upgrade 1.21 miles of Brush College Road. This project will create a new grade separation structure, permanently close two existing highway-rail grade crossings on Norfolk Southern and Illinois Central Railroad rights-of-way and create pedestrian grade crossings.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is continuing to bring transformative investments to communities in Central and Southern Illinois,” said Congresswoman Budzinski.“I couldn’t be more thrilled to join Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth in announcing that $16 million in federal infrastructure funding will be coming to Decatur to better connect the community and improve rail safety. This investment will create good-paying union jobs right here in our community and I’m looking forward to seeing this project progress.”

“Building this overpass opens a clogged artery in our primary economic growth corridor.  The railroad crossing is currently blocked almost 20 hours a week, cutting off access to our largest employer, ADM, as well as Richland Community College and other key businesses.  We have two new manufacturing plants currently under construction in that corridor, and without this project the congestion would only get worse,” said Mayor Moore Wolfe.“I am so grateful to Congresswoman Budzinski and Senators Durbin and Duckworth for securing this funding to move this project forward.” 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Durbin, Duckworth, and Budzinski supported, created the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, which provides funding for highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods.

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