Great Lakes Basin Transportation, Inc. (GLBT) has submitted a new route for the proposed rail project that is 33.8 km shorter and avoids Boone County, Illinois, where it faced strong opposition.
The new route was included in GLBT’s response to the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) on September 20. “When GLBT originally brought this project to [STB’s] attention, it explained that the project’s purpose is to construct a safe, reliable and entirely new freight bypass around Chicago that would link existing main lines entering the Chicago area, permit trains to bypass the congested terminal area, and add capacity to accommodate existing traffic and reasonably foreseeable future growth—all while avoiding major population centers along its route. That purpose continues to guide the development of the route,” GLBT wrote.
The route originally ran 452 km; the new route is 419 km, which GLBT believes will result in fewer environmental issues. The new route completely avoids Boone County, Illinois, where the proposal met strong opposition from farmers and other community members.
“GLBT is proposing an alignment that will allow operating speeds up to 70 mph and has incorporated design objectives derived from discussions with its potential customers. In addition, GLBT is working to develop an alignment will avoid or minimize adverse effects on the environment.”
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