The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently announced it has received a $4.5 million Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grant to develop a new digital system that will improve efficiencies and safety as well as modernize administration of future construction projects.
"Under the leadership of Gov. Pritzker, our goal at IDOT is to be the country's most innovative department of transportation," said Illinois Transportation Secretary, Omer Osman, in a statement. "This grant helps to further that mission while streamlining project delivery, investing taxpayer dollars wisely and strengthening our status as the transportation hub of North America."
The funding will enable IDOT to establish a digital network to share information on upcoming projects, which will reduce the use of paper reports, allow for 3D modeling and aerial surveying to improve accuracy and increase efficiency of data collection for other state and local agencies to access electronically.
Other benefits include reducing worker exposure by decreasing surveying activity in work zones and environmentally sensitive areas.
The department is in the midst of delivering Gov. JB Pritzker's bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan. Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing a total of $33.2 billion over six years into the state's aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. It's not only the largest capital program in state history, but also the first that touches all modes of transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,000 miles of highway and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois.
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Source: The Illinois Department of Transportation
