I-294 Tollway Project. In 2011, the Illinois State Tollway Authority Board of Directors to which IUOE Local 150 President-Business Manager, James Sweeney is a member, approved a 15-year, $12 billion capital program called Move Illinois. At the foresight of President-Business Manager Sweeney, the capital program was designed to improve mobility, relieve congestion, and to create jobs. A major portion of the Move Illinois program was the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) from 95th Street to Balmoral Avenue, this 22-mile stretch carries some of the heaviest volumes of passenger and freight traffic on the entire tollway system each day. Parts of the program on that 22-mile stretch was to replace aging pavement and to repair or replace roadways, bridges, and ramps to improve congestion. The I-294 project has been going on for years now with multiple projects taking place simultaneously. In May, the I-294 Project caused traffic to literally stop, as lane closures made way for the installation of beams for the I-490 ramp. In the video, you will see the I-294/I-490 ramps being constructed. Walsh construction was awarded the new bridge going over Union Pacific railroad (just south of Grand Ave. on I-294) as part of the new 490 Elgin O’Hare Western Access Tollway that will wrap around the western portion of O’Hare airport and connect to the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway(I-90) at Mount Prosect road. Thanks to all Local 150 members who are working hard on this project.
The Westville Correctional Facility, located in Westville, Indiana, is a state-operated prison for adult males. The facility contains sections of three levels of security. The facility first opened in 1951 as Beatty Memorial Hospital, a state-run mental health facility. In 1979, the campus was converted to a correctional facility. Today, the facility is at the end of its useful life; posing severe safety and security risks for our staff and the incarcerated population housed there. The new facility will see a $1.2 billion investment, creating 1,500 jobs in the process.
The Franklin at 11th Street Station is a 12-story, $100 million mixed-use apartment tower project in the heart of Michigan City. Overlooking the South Shore Line’s 11th Street Station, the project will bring 220 market-rate apartments to downtown. Featured in its advertising is the South Shore Line’s new “Double Track” which will shorten commute times to Chicago by about an hour with 14 additional weekday trains and will continue to bring big-dollar projects up and down its route.
Franciscan Health’s Munster location currently serves as an acute-care facility with 63 beds and home to 50 medical specialties. Mishawaka-based Franciscan Health is investing a total of $185.5 million to expand its hospital in Munster. In addition to the expansion of the hospital building itself, the project includes the addition of three stories to an existing three-story medical office building on the hospital’s campus at a cost of $40 million. That portion of the project is featured in the video below.
The West Lake Corridor Project is a southern branch extension of the existing South Shore Line (SSL) which will reach high-growth areas in Lake County, Indiana. The West Lake Corridor Project is being designed with a focus on sustainability and wetland mitigation, incorporating best practices to protect the environment. The approximately $998 million project also encourages business investments in station areas to create growth in local jobs, and will attracting and retain families and younger residents to the area. The development of the Dyer Station is featured in this video.