Will County Gets Historic $27 Million In Federal Funds For New Lenox Rail Overpass

NEW LENOX, IL — Will County will receive $27 million in federal funds to build a rail crossing overpass at Gougar Road in New Lenox, marking the largest transportation grant in Will County history, officials said Thursday.

The United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration will give Will County $27 million to construct a rail crossing overpass at the Gougar Road at Wisconsin Central/Canadian National Railroad Grade Separation. The funding will "accelerate construction on a project aimed at increasing safety and reducing traffic at a key rail crossing," officials said.

"This historic investment from the federal government will greatly improve access and safety for residents in a fast-growing area of Will County," said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. "By eliminating delays from blocked rail crossings, we are increasing mobility for residents and emergency responders in a heavily trafficked corridor. I appreciate the efforts of the USDOT and our federal delegation for supporting this key project."

The project will replace the existing at-grade rail crossing with an overpass, while also creating a shared-use pedestrian pathway that connects with the existing community path network. The crossing on Gougar Road serves as a critical north-south corridor, which connects neighborhoods to Lincoln-Way West High School and acts as a primary route for emergency responders to reach Silver Cross Hospital.

The Gougar Road Grade Separation Project is aimed at improving safety for all roadway users by reducing a point of conflict between vehicles, trains, and pedestrian, county officials said. It will also reduce traffic delays due to rail traffic, creating the only north-south rail track overpass in at least nine miles in either direction.

"The Village of New Lenox is happy to hear that additional funding has been secured for the long-awaited grade separation at Gougar Road," said Village of New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann. "This separation will allow for safer north/south travel for many in Will County, and could be the difference of life and death when it comes to ambulances trying to get to Silver Cross Hospital from the south side of the tracks. Our sincere thanks to our Will County and Federal representatives that have assisted with this project."

The $27,172,100 award from the United States Department of Transportation is part of a $1.1 billion Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program that is supporting 123 rail projects throughout the country. The announcement represents the largest single investment in grade crossing safety in the history of the Federal Railroad Administration.

The grant request from Will County received support from the entire Will County congressional delegation, including Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Congressman Bill Foster and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. It has also received support from the Village of New Lenox, Silver Cross Hospital, the Illinois Department of Transportation and local state legislators.

"From the beginning, we have always known conflicts with several pipelines, a gas pumping station relocation, ComEd transmission tower relocations, and the desire to keep northbound traffic moving towards Silver Cross Hospital and I-80 would add significant costs over the bridge itself," said Will County Division of Transportation Director Jeff Ronaldson. "This award secures the funding is in place to move this corridor critical project forward."

Federal funding will support right-of-way acquisition, project construction, and will accelerate the current engineering phase of the project, which was initially spaced out over several years to maximize local funding. Both Will County and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) will contribute a 20 percent local match for the federal funds. The ICC has committed $18 million in state funding for project engineering and construction.

Construction is projected to begin in 2026, pending land acquisition and utility relocations. The project is one component of Will County’s commitment to improving the entire corridor between Laraway Road and U.S. Route 30 that provides immediate connection to I-80. Other projects along the corridor are in various stages of design, scheduled for construction within the Will County Division of Transportation FY2025-2030 Transportation Improvement Program.