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. 

Estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that the rates of traffic-related deaths are the highest they’ve been in 20 years. An analysis by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests Latino and Black Americans are disproportionately affected by vehicular fatalities.