Sunday, May 18, 2008
October 2007 issue - Vol.8, No.1, 32 pages

   We Mean Business. Illinois Business.
 
 

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...continued Bi-state Mississippi Bridge deal awaits passage of Illinois capital bill

Illinois General Assembly and signature of the governor.
   After nearly two years of arguing with Missouri officials over their insistence on a toll bridge, Costello set a deadline for action last April.
   "I said if there was not progress being made and if it became apparent that there was not going to be a new Mississippi River Bridge, then I would go to Congress and ask them to reprogram the money to another project that was ready to go where there was an agreement, either in our area or someplace else in the country," Costello said.
   That deadline was to be late spring or early summer when the U.S. House Transportation Committee would begin reviewing the projects that had been funded under the federal transportation bill. Costello is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Costello has foregone that self-imposed deadline, he said, because there has been progress and IDOT and MoDOT have reached some tentative agreements.
   "I don't think they're ready to discuss those agreements yet," said Costello. "But, I think as soon as the state legislature in Illinois gets a capital bill that there will be an announcement and I think it will be positive news for the region."

   Costello said Illinois hit a home run with the six-year, federal transportation bill known as the Transportation Equity Act or TEA-LU (HR 3) that was enacted in 2005. He said that it was the best the state of Illinois has ever done in federal transportation funding.
   "We are number 2 out of the 50 states in increasing the money from the highway bill coming to the state of Illinois," Costello said. "We did extremely well."
   However, Costello warned that receipt of that money is dependent upon the state producing its matching share - 20 percent - and that is dependent upon the state passing a capital budget. Without the 20 percent match, the federal funds cannot be used. Costello said that he has impressed upon the state leadership the importance of passing a capital budget.
   "The entire bi-partisan Illinois Congressional delegation sent a letter to the governor (Rod Blagojevich), to Speaker (Michael) Madigan and President (Emil) Jones of the Senate telling them that this was an urgent matter; that the delegation did extremely well for them, but that it will all be for nothing if they do not come up with the revenue to match it which requires 20 percent," said Costello.
   State Rep. Jay Hoffman is involved in the negotiations. Hoffman said he is optimistic but that the agreement between the states has not yet been finalized.

vice president/coo: Alan J. Ortbals
email: aortbals@ibjonline.com

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