First the South Suburban Airport, then the Illiana Expressway, now, could a railroad be coming to the area from Northwest Indiana to the far southern Chicagoland area?

A couple of civic and tranportation activits have developed a proposal that would call for the “Illiana Rail Bypass,” a toll railroad that would run from Coal City, Ill., to Wellsboro, Ind. According to the proposal, it would cost $3 billion and would run along a portion of the proposed Illiana Expressway footprint.

If built, the so-called Illiana Rail Bypass “would be a breakthrough for logistics,” says Chaddick Institute Director Joe Schwieterman. He terms it “a railroad for the 21st century.”

The idea is coming from former software company owner and ex-Union League of Chicago President Frank Patton, who has formed a private company named Great Lakes Basin LLC to seek private financing, and Occam Consulting Group’s Jim Giblin, a transit consultant who is working as a technical adviser on the project.

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Full story here.

If you think you may be affected by the Illiana Expressway or Rail Bypass Project and/or are interested in a free consultation, contact our eminent domain landowner attorneys at 1-888-318-3761 or visit us on the web at www.landownerattorneys.com.