Rep. Kelly Advances $20 Million in Infrastructure Projects for Illinois Communities

House-Passed Bill Includes All Five of Congresswoman Kelly’s Transportation and Infrastructure Projects Requests, Money to Replace Lead Pipes

Rep. Kelly Advances $20 Million in Infrastructure Projects for Illinois Communities

House-Passed Bill Includes All Five of Congresswoman Kelly’s Transportation and Infrastructure Projects Requests, Money to Replace Lead Pipes


       Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) announced $20 million in funding to support transportation and infrastructure projects in Chicago, Cook County, The Village of Matteson, Will County, and Kankakee County. These projects were included in the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act, legislation that will reauthorize surface transportation, transit, rail and safety programs for the next five years. The INVEST in America Act also includes provisions to replace lead pipes and invest in clean drinking water nationwide. The House voted on and passed the legislation ahead of Independence day.
   
   “Improving infrastructure in localities throughout Illinois’ Second District is a direct investment in our communities to make much-needed repairs to our roads and bridges, replace dangerous lead pipes and help ensure everyone’s health and safety,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “I will continue advocating for these projects as this bill advances and make sure that this funding makes its way to Illinois.”
 
This year, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee accepted funding requests – formally called Member Designated Project Requests (MDPs) – from House Members for important transportation and infrastructure projects in their Congressional Districts. State Departments of Transportation (DOT), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), transit agencies or local governments were eligible to submit these requests to their member of Congress. Submission of a project by a Member of Congress does not guarantee that the project will ultimately be funded.

Congresswoman Kelly worked with local leaders to identify eligible projects and move them through the submission process in accordance with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee guidance.

Congresswoman Robin Kelly submitted the following projects to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for funding:
Project Name: Columbia Bridge
Location: Columbia Bridge Over Jackson Park Lagoon/59th St Bike Path, Chicago 60637
Project Sponsor: Chicago Department of Transportation
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Name: US 30 Lincoln Highway at IL 50 Cicero Ave
Location: US 30 Lincoln Highway at IL 50 Cicero Ave, Matteson 60443
Project Sponsor: Illinois Department of Transportation
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Project Name: Butler Drive
Location: 12800 S Butler Drive, Chicago 60633
Project Sponsor: Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways
Requested Amount: $4,500,000
Project Name: I-57 Interchange near Mile Marker 332 (Between Harlem Avenue and Pauling Road)
Location: I-57 and IL-50 near Eagle Lake Road and mile-marker 332, Peotone 60468
Project Sponsor: Illinois Department of Transportation
Requested Amount: $4,500,000
Project Name: IL 50 from S of Brookmont Blvd to N of US 45/52 & Indiana Ave to Fair St in Kankakee
Location: Local (Colloquial) street names: Kinzie Avenue, Fair Street, Indiana Avenue, Harrison Street, River Street, Schuyler Avenue, Kankakee 60901
Project Sponsor: Illinois Department of Transportation
Requested Amount: $5,000,000

The INVEST in America Act also invests $117 billion to address drinking water infrastructure safety. The bill includes plans to eliminate lead pipes nationwide to safeguard the health and safety of families, particularly of families of color.
Across the country, pipes and treatment plants are aging and polluted drinking water is endangering public health. There are up to 10 million homes with lead service lines and pipes. Children in up to 400,000 schools and childcare facilities are at risk of exposure to lead.

Communities of color in cities like Chicago are at particular risk. For kids, higher exposure to lead can translate to IQ points lost, can negatively affect academic performance, and can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life. By some estimates, each lead service line replaced at a cost of $5,000 per line leads to $22,000 in health savings. This will be the largest investment in clean drinking water in American history.

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