This morning, the Illinois Democratic Congressional delegation announced that, thanks to the recently-passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Illinois will receive a historic $1.4 billion over five years to repair bridges in poor condition, including $274.8 million in Fiscal Year 2022. Nationwide, the Federal Highway Administration announced today an investment of more than $27 billion to fix an estimated 15,000 bridges nationwide. This is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system — and every member of Illinois's Democratic Congressional delegation voted for it.

In Illinois, there are more than 2,374 bridges in poor condition. Since 2011, commute times have increased by more than seven percent in Illinois, and on average, every Illinois driver pays $609 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The bridge funding announced today will go to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), which will determine how to invest it across the state.



"Bridges connect us, but poorly maintained and hazardous bridges divide and endanger our communities — and unfortunately we have plenty of those in Chicago and across Cook County," said Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04). "Bridges tie cities like mine together for commuters, pedestrians, and the delivery vans and emergency vehicles that keep our neighborhoods going. That's why I was proud to vote for the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, which will bring urgently needed investments to Illinois to replace or repair bridges in our communities like the Cicero Avenue Bridge that connects neighborhoods across the Chicago River."