Governor Pat Quinn signed a law that will give the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) the power to build the South Suburban Airport. Located in Will County, this new global transportation hub will employ more than 11,000 construction workers to build the airport and approximately 14,000 people when operational. The new law – gives IDOT the power to enter into a public-private partnership for the development, construction and operation of the airport.
This action will help Illinois move forward by developing this major economic engine that will strengthen its status as the transportation hub of the nation while creating thousands of good-paying jobs in Illinois. Illinois has invested about $40 million to date on land acquisition. Governor Quinn’s 2014 budget also includes the remaining $71 million needed to complete this project.
Will County is the ideal location for the South Suburban Airport because of its existing major highway and railroad infrastructure, its growing population and the nearby presence of many global logistics firms.
The aviation industry in Illinois has a tremendous economic impact with approximately $41 billion and close to 337,000 jobs can currently be traced back to aviation in the state. Those numbers will increase substantially once the South Suburban Airport is operational. Jobs will be created for construction workers to build the airport, and once complete, employees will be hired for airport and airline operations, cargo, security, concessions, trucking and logistics, restaurants, hotels, rental car businesses and retail establishments.
Furthermore, Illinois is also partnering with the state of Indiana to construct the Illiana Expressway, a new 50-mile highway stretching from I-55 near Wilmington in southern Will County to I-65 in Indiana. When built, the Illiana Corridor Project will reduce the strain of truck traffic on local roads, thereby improving safety, travel times and job accessibility. The Illiana Expressway project will also have substantial economic benefits which will include the creation of more than 9,000 construction jobs and more than 25,000 long-term jobs. The Illiana route will provide easy and convenient access to the South Suburban Airport once both projects are completed.
For more information about the South Suburban Airport, visit: www.SouthSuburbanAirport.com
For more information about the Illiana Corridor, visit: www.IllianaCorridor.org
For questions about personal injury please contact our office at Morici, Longo & Associates at (312) 372-9600, or click here to schedule a FREE consultation.
Source: www.illinois.gov