Project will Ease Congestion; Create More than 2,200 Jobs

ST. LOUIS - April 19, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at the Eads Bridge in St. Louis to break ground on the new Mississippi River Bridge project. The project is expected to create more than 2,200 jobs, provide congestion relief and will spur approximately $25.3 billion in regional economic activity over the next 45 years.

"A new bridge joining Missouri and Illinois will greatly enhance safety and relieve congestion in the St. Louis metro area," said Governor Quinn. "This project will also boost the local economy of both of our state by creating thousands of jobs for the region."

The project is a joint undertaking by the Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation. Construction of the new bridge is expected to result in 2,200 direct and indirect jobs being created in the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area, with 1,200 anticipated to be Illinois-based jobs.

"St. Louis has been the center of commerce and transportation on the Mississippi River for 200 years, and this bridge will be a strong link in that vibrant network," Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said. "Coupled with the announcement last month that development of the high-speed rail corridor to Chicago is on a fast track, St. Louis is well-positioned to thrive as a key transportation hub of the Midwest."

The Mississippi River Bridge will provide congestion relief across the region, especially on the Poplar Street Bridge. The new bridge will be a four-lane, cable-stayed structure that will relocate Interstate 70 from the Poplar Street Bridge, which now carries I-55, I-64 and I-70. The main span contractor is a joint venture of Massman Construction, Traylor Brothers and Alberici Constructors.

"We are very excited to take part in building the first new bridge in more than 40 years to connect downtown St. Louis and southwestern Illinois," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "As work on the new Mississippi River Bridge advances, Illinois will continue to work diligently to ensure the success of the project."

The estimated $667 million dollar project is funded through a combination of federal and state funds, which includes funds from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU.  The funding includes $313 million from Illinois, $115 million from Missouri and $239 million in federal appropriations. The project is expected to be completed by 2014.

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DAVENPORT, IOWA (March 16, 2010)  A presentation called "Tourism in Germany: What to Do, See and Say" will be held Saturday, March 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the German American Heritage Center at 712 West 2nd Street in Davenport, Iowa. Reminiscing on travel experiences or exploring future excursions can seem like a welcome mini-getaway. This presentation will share some ideas for destinations and activities in the south of Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg) as well as some helpful words and phrases for you to get by on your next trip to Germany, Austria and/or Switzerland. This event will be hosted by Bryan Schmid and is free for members and free with museum admission for nonmembers.

In addition to the presentation visitors can explore the museum's 4,000 square feet of permanent and special exhibits. Visitors will enjoy an interactive experience as they learn about immigrants' journey by sea, train and foot, to their final destination at the German American Heritage Center building, which was originally a very busy hotel for thousands of immigrants in the 1860s. The current special rotating exhibit is Amana: Moving to the City. This exhibit features artifacts and explores how Amana society members made a difficult decision to leave the communal society during the Great Depression to come to the City of Davenport.

The German American Heritage Center works to preserve and enrich the German immigrant experience and its impact on the American Culture. The museum also partners with other cultural groups to demonstrate the contributions immigrants from many countries and from varied backgrounds have made to the ethnic palette which is the United States.

For more information on all of the museum's exhibits, programs, events, classes, and workshops visit www.gahc.org or call 563-322-8844. General admission is: Adults: $5; Seniors:$4; Children: $3 (5 - 17 years old); Free for children under 5. Museum members are free. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturday open 10 am - 4 pm; Sunday open 12 - 4 pm.

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$1.2 Billion Award will Fund Chicago to St. Louis Corridor; Create 6,000 Jobs

CHICAGO - January 29, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin kicked off a series of announcements in Chicago today to discuss details about Illinois' $1.2 billion federal award to bring high-speed passenger rail service to Illinois by 2014. Illinois is among only three states to receive at least $1 billion for high-speed passenger rail, which will make the trip between Chicago and St. Louis faster than driving and will provide new train equipment.

"Illinois was one of only three states in the country to receive over $1 billion for high speed rail. We appreciate the confidence of President Obama to bring high-speed rail to Illinois," said Governor Quinn. "Thanks to hard work and perseverance, our vision to have Illinois serve as the nation's high speed rail hub is becoming a reality, bringing jobs and economic growth to our communities."

The Obama Administration announced the competitive awards Thursday as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program. The investment from the federal government is expected to create approximately 6,000 jobs in Illinois. Illinois received the third largest award among 31 states chosen to share in the $8 billion made available nationwide for high-speed passenger rail. Thirty-seven states applied for funding.

"Investing $1.2 billion into improving our rail system is going to mean more jobs - jobs for today and jobs for the future," said Senator Durbin. "Today's announcement assures that Chicago, already a major rail hub of the nation, will soon become the major high-speed rail hub of the Midwest and nation.

"Today, President Obama's vision is bringing high-speed rail to Illinois and the rest of the United States," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.  "This groundbreaking program will put many people back to work in Chicago and across the country, and it will also help transform transportation for the entire Midwest region."

Illinois' high-speed rail signature route, Chicago to St. Louis, will receive $1.1 billion for corridor improvements. Improvements to this 284 mile route will allow passenger rail service to operate at speeds up to 110 mph, reducing the total trip time from Chicago to St. Louis by over an hour. The improvements include an overhaul of track, signal systems and existing stations as well as the implementation of state-of-the-art train control technology that will improve train safety. In addition, Illinois will receive $1.25 million to complete an environmental impact study for a second track along the same route.

The award for Illinois includes $133 million to build the Englewood Flyover on Chicago's South Side, a Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) project which will clear one of the largest rail bottlenecks in the nation. The improvement will eliminate significant delays for commuter trains, Amtrak trains and freight trains.

"This is great news for Illinois and the Midwest," said Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "I commend President Obama, Governor Quinn, Senator Durbin and the entire Midwest region for their leadership and commitment through a long and competitive process. I also want to express my gratitude to the staff at the Illinois Department of Transportation who have remained focused and dedicated on efforts to make high-speed passenger rail a reality in Illinois."

Thanks to multi-state steering group formed by Governor Quinn, Illinois will benefit from awards to several other neighboring states that make up the Chicago Hub Network. The region received a total of $2.6 billion - more than any other regional network. The network is designed to connect cities throughout the region to Chicago with reliable high-speed and conventional intercity rail service.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received 259 grant applications from 37 states and the District of Columbia requesting nearly $57 billion in funding - far exceeding the initial $8 billion available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In total, 79 applications from 31 States were selected for funding.

For more information on the awards to Illinois and the other Midwestern states for high-speed rail, go to MidwestRail.org.

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