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Illinois Tollway Board approves billion-dollar, multi-year capital plan

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Illinois Tollway Board approves billion-dollar, multi-year capital plan


DIXON — The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors has approved a new seven-year capital plan to support ongoing infrastructure projects and bridge the gap between the “Move Illinois” program and the agency’s next long-term capital plan, “Bridging the Future.”

The $2 billion “Bridging the Future” capital plan will help modernize the Illinois Tollway’s infrastructure to help support future projects while addressing maintenance issues along the five roadways on the Tollway system, including the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.

‘Bridging the Future’ overview

  • Connecting infrastructure – $258 million will be spent on interchange work, including the I-355/I-88 interchange, state Route 390 Tollway at County Farm Road and the I-88 at York Road/22nd Street interchanges. Improvements will also be made to the Lake Cook Road Bridge over I-94.
  • Improving mobility – $725 million will be spent on bridge reconstruction and widening projects, including local crossroad and mainline bridges on I-294, railroad bridges on I-294 and I-88 and crossroad bridge reconstruction at the north end of I-94.
  • Modernizing the system – $532 million will be spent on system upgrades and maintenance systemwide, including bridge repairs, pavement rehabilitation and funding for improvements to toll plazas and tollway facilities.
  • Preparing for the future – $485 million will be allocated for technology investments in active traffic management, upgrades to back-office systems and support for pilot programs and studies.

“The Bridging the Future capital plan is a smart and balanced approach that ensures the completion of critical improvements as we continue the engagement necessary to advance our long-term capital planning process,” Board Chairman Arnie Rivera said. “The Illinois Tollway Board has a fiscal responsibility to prioritize strategic regional projects with system upkeep to leverage funds efficiently.”

No changes to the tollway’s current tolling structure or any further debt financing are expected to fund “Bridging the Future” outside of what is already planned for the “Move Illinois” program, according to a news release.

“Throughout the past year, we’ve been gathering stakeholder and community input as part of our long-term strategic and capital planning process, and one thing we’ve heard across the board is that customers, communities and contractors don’t want to see a pause in progress or wait for the next capital program to begin,” Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse said. “The Bridging the Future plan will help keep our regional economic engine primed, delivering jobs and contract opportunities and also ensuring our planned infrastructure improvements remain on track.”

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“Move Illinois,” the tollway’s current $15 billion capital program, is expected to finish by the end of 2027. The program has already accomplished several milestones, including the 2017 completion of state Route 390, the rebuilt Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) with its SmartRoad corridor and the 2022 interchange connecting I-294 to I-57.

Construction of the new I-490 Tollway, including reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294), is on schedule for completion.

The Illinois Tollway is a user-funded system without federal or state funding for its maintenance and operations. It oversees 294 miles of roadways across 12 counties in Northern Illinois.

For more information, visit illinoistollway.com.



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Illinois

Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL

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Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL


A number of Taco Bell locations have posted signs announcing they are “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” according to Detroit-area news radio outlet WWJ.

Taco Bell told the Post it would keep monitoring the situation and follow authorities’ guidance.

Taco Bell Lettuce Linked To Growing MI Parasite Outbreak: FDA

“Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer,” the company told the Post. “While authorities continue their broader review, Taco Bell has voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.”

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In Michigan, where cases have been concentrated, media reports said notices were posted at some Detroit-area Taco Bell restaurants last week telling customers the chain was “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro-Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall.”





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Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash

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Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash


The Illinois Republican Party filed its quarterly campaign finance report on the July 15 deadline. The party reported having just $223K in the bank. The next day, the party sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections saying they were “reconciling” their records after a leadership change, and then noted that their actual end balance was $101K higher than it had reported the day before.

But that bit of found money was basically the end of the “good news” for the GOP last week.

Republicans no longer have a pet billionaire. Bruce Rauner and Ken Griffin have fled the state. The legions of wealthy business titans who once contributed and raised money have either retired to sunnier climes or passed away. Several prominent party members have publicly shunned labor unions and their hefty political war chests, although the state GOP legislative leaders have at least tried to rebuild ties to trade unions and even the Illinois Education Association. But the heavily gerrymandered legislative map combined with the current political climate means they’ll mostly receive scraps.

And, yes, the House Democrats are struggling this month with scandals, including a state representative who resigned under pressure and another who was indicted. I’m not trying to downplay that at all. But Democrats have the national political environment, the local infrastructure and tons of cash behind them. The Republicans have little to none of that.

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The GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, Darren Bailey, raised $1.3 million in the second quarter, which ended June 30. That sounds like a lot, but he spent almost all of that on direct mail fundraising costs. The huge expenditures do give him a prospect list for future fundraising, but he ended the quarter with a mere $128K in the bank. That was still a whole lot more than the rest of the statewide ticket.

Attorney General nominee Bob Fioretti, a perennial candidate, raised $31K, spent $39K and had $28K on hand at the end of the quarter along with almost $15K in recent debt. Secretary of State candidate Diane Harris raised $6K, spent a bit over $4K and had a paltry $1,816.42 in the bank. Treasurer candidate Max Solomon, who ran as a write-in during the primary because the party failed to recruit anyone, raised less than $3K, reported no spending and ended the quarter with less than $8K. Comptroller candidate Bryan Drew raised $30K and received $47K in in-kind contributions from a company owned, ironically, by independent gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett, spent less than $3K, ended with $54K and had $25K in debt from earlier this year.

Man, that’s just downright pathetic.

But I suppose it doesn’t really matter anyway unless we see a massive sea-change in national opinion in the coming months or the federal government finds a way to not certify certain election results. Regardless of where individual candidates are at this moment, they’ll have the money to compete. Unlike the Republicans, the Dems do have a pet billionaire (JB Pritzker) and, I assume eventually for most of them, organized labor.

The Republican legislative leaders have tried to scrape and claw as much as they can, but they’re vastly outgunned. Senate Republican Leader John Curran raised just $75K in the second quarter. He spent $71K and reported having a bit more than $3 million in the bank. His caucus committee reported having $160K in the bank.

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Leader Curran has three Republican-held districts to defend in the Chicago media market that have all trended Democratic in the last three cycles. Depending how bad things get, he could be defending a couple, two or three more.

The Senate Democrats have a ton of money to do whatever they want. Senate President Don Harmon has about $20 million in his personal campaign account and $1.7 million in his caucus account.

Over in the House, Republican Leader Tony McCombie has at least four Democratic-trending or swingy districts to defend and just $1.3 million in her personal campaign account and another $363K in her caucus account so far.

In contrast, House Speaker Chris Welch had $11.4 million in his personal account and $1.2 million in his caucus account. Like Senate President Harmon, he has more than enough money already, but more is never enough when there’s so much out there, so those numbers will likely rise by November.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur

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Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur


BLOOMINGTON — Springfield’s Alex Eickhoff nearly had a magical Thursday as he tied for second place in the 95th annual Illinois State Amateur Championship at Crestwicke Country Club.  

Eickhoff, a 2020 Hillsboro High School graduate and former standout on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s men’s golf team, shot a 4-under-par 68 in Thursday’s third round and followed that with an even-par 71 to finish the three-day, four-round event 1-over 285. He tied for second with Bloomington’s Logan Stauffer.  

Eickhoff briefly took the lead through nine holes of his fourth round when he sat at 1-under par. Chicago’s Charlie Kulwin finished both of Thursday’s rounds under par and finished 2-under 282. He was the lone golfer to finish under par for the tournament.

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Eickhoff was The State Journal-Register’s Small School Boys Golfer of the year twice in his high school career: once as a freshman in 2016-17 and again as a senior in 2019-20. After high school, he golfed for the University of Minnesota for two years before transferring to SIUE.  

He began the tournament with a 3-over 74 on Tuesday and shaved off a stroke Wednesday with a 2-over 73. He closed out the event with an even-par 71 in Thursday’s final round.

Other area golfers who made the cut were Springfield’s Charles Hoogland (7-over 291, tied for 20th) and Jacksonville’s Brady Kaufmann (8-over 292, 25th). 

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The last golfer from The State Journal-Register’s coverage area to win the Illinois State Amateur was Jay Davis. Davis, a Jacksonville Routt graduate, won the 1991 and ‘92 tournaments. 

Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.





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