Location |
Chicago, Illinois |
Project Sponsor / Borrower |
City of Chicago |
Program Areas |
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Mode |
Multimodal (freight rail, passenger rail and highway) |
Description |
The Chicago region is the world's third busiest intermodal hub, covering approximately 16,000 acres. It's also where six of the seven Class I freight railroads converge and where nearly a quarter of the nation's rail shipments arrive or pass through. The CREATE project is maximizing the use of four train transportation corridors, including three primarily handling freight traffic and one primarily handling passenger traffic. The project involves 70 improvements, including:
The project will require six to ten years to construct and will be completed in multiple phases. Selecting the improvements for CREATE was a collaborative process between the freight railroads, State of Illinois Department of Transportation, City of Chicago Department of Transportation, Metra and Amtrak. Input on grade crossings and traffic congestion was considered from the Illinois Commerce Commission and Chicago Area Transportation Study. Six private freight railroads are planning to make a $212 equity contribution to support the project. They include: BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CN, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Union Pacific Railroad. The railroads are represented by the American Association of Railroads. |
Cost |
$3.05 billion (approximately) |
Funding Sources |
In 2011, the unfunded CREATE program need was estimated at about $2.01 billion. The following funding has been committed to date:
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Project Delivery / Contract Method |
Primarily Design-Bid-Build and internal railroad capabilities (Force Account) |
Private Partner |
Equity partners: BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CN, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Union Pacific Railroad |
Project Advisors / Consultants |
Jacobs, Inc. HNTB Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. Edwards and Kelcey Design Services Patrick Engineering TransSystems Corporation Hanson Professional Services, Inc. Alfred Bensch & Co. |
Lenders |
Bondholders (pending approval of Illinois Capital Improvements Bond Program) |
Duration / Status |
As of May 2011:
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Financial Status |
Unfunded portion: approximately $2.01 billion |
Innovations |
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Related Links / Articles |
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Contacts |
Larry Wilson Bernardo Bustamante, PE, PMP |