Chicago City Wire

The City of Chicago has been awarded $2 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program to help mitigate the negative effects of highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, mobility, access, and economic development. This funding will support the City in engaging the community and planning infrastructure improvements to promote traffic safety and enhance accessibility on Chicago’s West Side, particularly addressing the adverse impacts of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) on surrounding neighborhoods.

Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed gratitude for the funding, stating, “The construction of I-290 in the 1950s destroyed homes and businesses, segregating our city and displacing entire communities. Today, it continues to be a physical barrier for West Side Chicagoans, so this funding is an important step towards reconnecting these communities and improving mobility.”

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin emphasized the significance of the program in rectifying past transportation projects, stating, “Historically, Chicago’s West Side has been separated by the imposing physical barriers of I-290, which not only divides neighborhoods but stifles economic growth and social cohesion. By prioritizing investments in infrastructure that reconnects rather than divides, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future where every resident of the West Side can thrive.”

Governor JB Pritzker highlighted the impact on communities, saying, “For decades, residents all across the West Side of Chicago have experienced unprecedented community displacement due to construction and maintenance on the Eisenhower Expressway. I’m thankful to have partners in the federal government who share the belief that progress does not need to come at the expense of an entire community’s livelihood.”

The grant funding aims to improve community safety, cohesion, and quality of life through enhanced connectivity over and around the expressway and CTA’s Blue Line rail transit stations located in the highway median. It will support upcoming reconstruction efforts by focusing on improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, adding pedestrian bridges and bicycle facilities, incorporating landscaping, and making traffic safety and access improvements to nearby streets and intersections.

Executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), Erin Aleman, expressed excitement about the region benefiting from the federal program dedicated to reconnecting communities. Aleman stated, “We are eager to collaborate with IDOT, CDOT, CTA, and our federal partners to help realize this regionally significant project that will improve people’s lives by supporting the President’s Justice40 goals, enhancing travel safety and accessibility, and helping foster economic opportunity.”

The City of Chicago aims to address the challenges faced by West Side neighborhoods due to the Eisenhower Expressway's historical impact. With the support of the federal grant, efforts are underway to reconnect communities, improve mobility, and enhance the quality of life for residents in the area.