State holds hearing on high-speed rail plan in Will County

The state will hold a public hearing on Thursday in Braidwood for proposed track improvements for future high-speed rail through Will County.

The hearing is 4-7 p.m. in the Fossil Ridge Public Library at 386 W. Kennedy Road.

The rail improvements are planned for an area between Braidwood and Elwood. They are part of the plan for high-speed rail between Chicago and St. Louis, the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a news release.

An environmental assessment for a second track in the Braidwood-Elwood corridor has been completed, and the findings will be presented at the hearing, IDOT said.

The additional track and related improvements would allow train speeds to increase to 110 mph, IDOT said.

The hearing will be held in an open-house format. The public can come at any time during the hearing hours.

“Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the project and discuss with representatives from IDOT and the project team,” according to the release.

Comments can be given at the meeting in writing or directly to a court reporter. Comments can also be submitted online.

“All comments received by Aug. 15 will be considered part of the public record,” according to the release.

More information is available at the project web page on the IDOT website.