Hear for yourself what a dozen Illinois notables who are directly involved say about the proposed but stalled capital funding plan. You'll hear from Glenn Poshard, Dennis Hastert, Clayton Harris III, Stephen Schlickman, Jennifer Morrison, Barbara Flynn Currie, Chris Lauzen, John M. Sullivan, Dale Risinger, Michael Carrigan, Karen McConnaughay, and Marcie Schatz.
The governor and Illinois lawmakers agree that a multi-billion dollar capital improvement plan is vital to shore up the state’s neglected roads, bridges, school buildings, airports and transit systems. But that's as far as they've gotten. They don't trust each other, and as Phil Taylor reports, that lack of trust has sacrificed a summer's worth of construction projects and federal funds needed to get some jobs done.
Without a state capital plan, projects like Route 47 will remain untouched. Christina Zdanowicz reports that the state highway system has already dipped below the acceptable condition levels set by the Illinois Department of Transportation in 2005. Even though IDOT's current multi-year program calls for $10.9 billion in road maintenance and improvement projects, the agency does not have enough money to do everything that needs to be done. Road conditions will only worsen and some suggested expansions and lane additions would fall by the wayside if the state fails to initiate a capital plan.
Next time you're driving on South Lake Shore Drive near McCormick Place and you turn onto the bridge that gets you to Interstate 55 (the Stevenson Expressway), take a closer look at what you're driving on. Christina Zdanowicz did with the assistance of IDOT bridge engineer Sarah Wilson.