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For more than a decade, the Illinois and Chicago departments of transportation have been holding public meetings on a proposed redesign of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Earlier this month, they held an open house to show off their preferred option — one that doesn’t include a dedicated or shared lane for buses.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) addresses a rally against IDOT and CDOT’s proposed overhaul of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024 at Truman College. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
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City and state transportation officials showed off their recommended plan to overhaul North DuSable Lake Shore Drive on Thursday, touting its expected benefits for all modes of travel. But the “Redefine the Drive” project got a chilly reception from some transportation advocates and lawmakers.

(WTTW News)

Starting May 21, Amtrak is adding a second daily passenger rail service dubbed Borealis, which connects Chicago and St. Paul through Milwaukee. The new rail service serves 13 train stations for an estimated travel time of 7 hours and 24 minutes between Chicago and St. Paul, according to Amtrak’s website.

(Ri Butov / Pixabay)

The Illinois Department of Transportation learned a lot from the traffic jam “hangover” that followed 2017’s solar eclipse: mainly to warn motorists to expect gridlock.

(National Park Service / Flickr Creative Commons)

If you've been sleeping on the North American total solar eclipse of 2024, it's time to start paying attention. The big event — on April 8 — is fast approaching and folks who haven't prepared could find themselves left out in the dark.

Members of the Teamsters Local 916 union rally Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, outside of the Illinois Department of Transportation building in Springfield. (Alex Abbeduto / Capitol News Illinois)

Last week, eight local Teamsters unions representing about 3,800 transportation-related employees authorized strikes amid the ongoing negotiations. A strike can still be avoided despite the authorization votes.

A file image of construction on the Jane Byrne Interchange. (WTTW News)

The eight local unions that authorized strikes are spread throughout Illinois and represent around 3,800 employees, including drivers, highway maintainers and bridge tenders. Negotiations between the state and the unions have lasted more than seven months. 

Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman is pictured at a news conference in Springfield Friday. He unveiled the state's latest six-year plan for infrastructure improvements. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

The latest version of the plan is the largest multiyear plan in Illinois history. Nearly $41 billion in federal, state and local funds will go toward repairing and upgrading roads, bridges, airports, rail lines and other infrastructure.

(WTTW News)
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Legislators and environmental activists alike say they were caught off guard by fast-tracked proposals that would pave the way for a private entity to own a piece of an expanded I-55. 

(WTTW News)
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The Kennedy Expressway construction project that kicked off earlier this year had an unexpected effect on some of the 35th Ward’s unhoused residents: the scope of the work endangered those living in viaducts under the expressway.

A file image of construction on the Jane Byrne Interchange. (WTTW News)
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The Illinois Department of Transportation says the interchange will improve overall commuter experience with fewer delays and crashes, while also decreasing fuel emissions.

(WTTW News)
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A 45-day strike that’s put a strain on road projects throughout northern Illinois could come to an end this weekend when members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 union vote on an offer from their employers, collectively known as the Chicago Area Aggregate Producers Association (CAAPA).

(WTTW News)
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Some 300 members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 — those who are employed by Chicago-area quarries run by Lehigh Hanson, Vulcan Materials Co. and Lafarge Holcim — went on strike June 7.

The Route 66 Monarch Flyway combines ecotourism with conservation to save two endangered entities: the monarch butterfly and small towns. (Visit Litchfield Illinois / Facebook)

The Route 66 Monarch Flyway in Illinois aims to breath new life into small towns while providing critical habitat for the imperiled butterfly.

(Courtesy Redefine the Drive)

Lake Shore Drive is iconic, but with that status comes aging infrastructure. Transportation officials have come up with potential ways to overhaul the Drive and they’re looking for feedback.

(Hashan / Pixabay)

It's mating season for deer, which means more are on the move at dawn and dusk — prime time for deer-vehicle collisions. Cook County led the state in 2019 with 472 crashes.