Press Releases

February 14, 2025 – The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program will host a forum for contractors to learn more about work opportunities tied to its Westside Gateway (WA1) initiative from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at HIRE360, 2540 S. State St., Chicago. Click here to read the full press release.    

December 13, 2024 – The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program announced today that more than $290M has been awarded through the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to accelerate improvements to the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (CIP), the largest rail chokepoint in the Chicago Region. Through the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) program, the CREATE Program will receive $209,877,984 from the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) program and $81,301.065 from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, ensuring the success of projects that strengthen freight and passenger transportation in the Chicago region and across the ...

The Chicago Region Environmental And Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program partners are pleased to announce NS has selected TranSystems to provide construction management services for the CREATE Program’s Pullman Junction Interlocking Improvement Project (EW3-Segment A). TranSystems will soon begin engineering and administrative management services and is expected to continue until construction of this fully funded, $37 million track and signal project is completed in 2027. The project is located in the vicinity of 9500 South Stony Island Avenue on Chicago’s south side and is the recipient of a Federal Railroad Administration CRISI grant award. Click here to read the full bid ...

October 18, 2023 – The CREATE Program sponsored a panel discussion regarding the role the 80th Street Junction and the Belt Replacement Project will play in transforming the nation’s passenger and freight rail system. This project will remove North America’s largest chokepoint in the freight rail network and result in significant global, national, statewide, regional and local impacts on the supply chain and passenger rail service. Recently, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) applied for a $260 million federal grant from the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Opportunity Program to fund the first segment of the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project ...

We are excited to announce Norfolk Southern has selected Gannet Fleming, Hanson, and Parsons as lead contractors for the CREATE Program’s Project EW2- Segment B. As a part of the CREATE public-private partnership, the project will include major rehabilitation or replacement nearly 100 structures within the project, many of which were constructed more than a century ago.

Bell Avenue construction prep work begins July 18th and 19th. Construction work starts August 1, 2023. Construction work will begin on building a retaining wall including new security fencing and guardrails. Completion of the project is targeted for November 2023. Work will take place in the alley between 68th and Marquette Avenue, Monday – Friday, during the hours of 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, weather permitting. Please be aware you may see crews working in your neighborhood. Prep work will require crews to access each homeowner’s private property to perform building inspections and the installation of seismographs on some homeowner’s ...