The Illinois DOT (IDOT) recently announced that Illinois is receiving federal funds to boost infrastructure for alternative fuel vehicles on I-80.
The grant, which will target electric vehicles and vehicles that run on natural gas, is part of a larger effort to build a mid-America alternative fuel corridor spanning six states.
“These improvements will help make interstate travel on alternative fuel a reality,” Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in a statement. “By working with federal, state and local partners, we are keeping Illinois infrastructure ahead of the curve while making travel more efficient and environmentally friendly.”
The $70,000 in federal funds will be matched by $10,000 each from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois. The funds will be used to identify and fill gaps in the availability of fueling and charging facilities on I-80 and develop public-private partnerships with businesses, such as gas stations and truck stops, to host and promote the facilities.
At just over 2,900 miles, I-80 is the country’s second-longest interstate and a major passenger and freight corridor. The eastern half of I-80, known as the Mid-America Corridor, stretches from New Jersey through Illinois to the Iowa-Nebraska border, crossing a dozen interstates and passing through counties with a combined population of roughly 19 million. This stretch of I-80 sees traffic volumes in excess of 8,500 trucks a day, making it one of the two most heavily traveled transcontinental corridors in the nation.
IDOT received funding for the project as a winner of the Federal Highway Administration’s National Planning Awards through the Alternative Fuels Corridor program.
--------
SOURCE: Illinois DOT
