5 local governments receive infrastructure grants

Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced Tuesday $50.7 million in new infrastructure grants awarded to 34 communities and counties across Illinois for critical infrastructure projects including bridge replacement, water treatment upgrades, road construction projects, among others.

Locally, La Salle County is slated to receive $1.9 million for a soldier pile wall creation to mitigate slope failure and future flooding impact in Peru Township. A solider pile wall is a form of embedded retaining wall used to retain the soil behind to allow the ground level in front of the wall to be lowered.

Additionally, the village of Tiskilwa in Bureau County was awarded $1.1 million to replace four bridges.

Other local state grant selections include $343,292 to Spring Valley for sewer improvements; $500,000 to Toluca for water tower maintenance; and $1,095,705 to Lacon for roadway improvements.

“Flooding is a common issue in our communities, causing property damage that costs residents time and money,” said state Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa). “By improving Spring Valley’s sewer system and improving infrastructure in La Salle County, we can prevent the negative effects of flooding, which benefits our entire district.”

State funds will be met with $72.1 million in matching commitments for capital projects, which brings the total investment to nearly $123 million.

This funding is made possible by the Rebuild Illinois Public Infrastructure Capital Program, which is one of several infrastructure programs created by the state to provide investment in aging infrastructure, as well as job opportunities for communities. In total, the Rebuild Illinois capital plan will be providing at least $3.3 billion in grants and programs for locals and businesses around the state.

“Every corner of Illinois deserves 21st century infrastructure — and Rebuild Illinois is the largest ever effort to get us there,” Pritzker said in a press release. “Modernizing major throughways that underpin our status at the nation’s transportation hub is critical work, but so, too, is making the lives of working families easier. Rebuild Illinois proudly dedicates more than $3.3 billion to exactly that: renewing local roads, rebuilding sidewalks, and investing in the hubs of community life.”

To date, a total of 74 projects and more than $105 million in investments have been awarded through under DCEO’s infrastructure portion of Rebuild Illinois. All applications were reviewed on a competitive basis. Priority areas during the application process included job creation, critical infrastructure needs, locations in underserved areas and project impact.