AASHTO Journal - Illinois Unveils Historic $50B Infrastructure Program

Governor JB Pritzker (D) and the Illinois Department of Transportation recently unveiled a six-year $50.6 billion transportation infrastructure investment program – the largest ever such investment program in the state’s history.

[Above photo by Illinois DOT]

The Fiscal Year 2026-31 Proposed Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program will invest $32.5 billion in state and local roads and bridges, with $5.5 billion identified for the current fiscal year. A total of $18.1 billion is programmed for other modes, which includes $13.8 billion for transit, $2.9 billion for freight and passenger rail, $1.2 billion for aviation, and $200 million for ports and waterways.

“Over the next six years, we’ll continue investing across the board in order to build the best infrastructure system in the nation,” the governor noted in a statement.

“This new multi-year construction program will not only create jobs and economic opportunity, but it will also improve quality of life in Illinois – making it easier to walk and bike, catch a bus, deliver goods, and get you safely from where you are to where you need to be,” added Gia Biagi, Illinois DOT secretary.

On the highways side, the program will build or improve 7,107 lane miles of roads and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck on the state system, with $6.8 billion identified for 1,654 lane miles and more than 1.3 million square feet of bridge deck overseen by local governments.

New to this year’s multi-year program is $400 million made available through special legislative appropriation and signed by Gov. Pritzker to help further address local transportation needs, with consideration given to disadvantaged or economically distressed communities.

Projects encompass everything from street and transit upgrades to bike and pedestrian improvements and are based on priorities submitted by counties, cities, townships, transit districts, and other local agencies.

Of the 223 awards, 177 are for roads, 34 for bike and pedestrian improvements, 10 for transit, two for ports. All projects required a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal to uplift small, local minority- and women-owned firms, Illinois DOT said.