Project Description

The Illinois Department of Transportation entered cooperative agreement DTFRDV-96-H-60006 in April 1997 for environmental analysis of the Chicago - St. Louis High-Speed Rail Corridor. The project involves an environmental assessment and innovative grade crossing demonstration with respect to the Chicago - St. Louis high-speed rail corridor, which was designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation under section 1010 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act ("ISTEA"). The project also includes advancing the draft environmental impact statement through the stages of meetings, comments and public hearings to produce a final environmental impact statement. The total project costs $400,000, with Federal funding of $200,000 and State funding of $200.000. The agreement was valid through June 1998.

The environmental analysis involves performing a broad inventory of the preferred rail corridor, including delineation of land use, flood plains, wetlands, geological features, soils, seismic conditions, historical and archeological resources, threatened and/or endangered species and habitats, unique visual features, social and community characteristics, economic base characteristics, transportation and traffic, and solid and/or hazardous waste sites. The analysis involves photographing and/or videotaping the entire corridor (total route miles = 392.8). Particular attention is focused on areas adjacent to existing grade crossings and intermediate stops where significant impacts are most likely to occur.

The analysis will assess potential impacts of the proposed HSR service and appurtenances on the natural and man-made environment. This includes impacts on air quality, noise, energy, wetlands, historic and archeological resources, soils, geology and seismicity, visual or aesthetic, biological, agricultural, socioeconomic, water quality, flood plain, land use, transportation and traffic, hazardous waste, construction, environmental laws and regulations.