Today, the Illinois Tollway and the Canadian Pacific Railroad reached a long-awaited agreement to allow construction of Interstates 390 and 490 to cross through the rail yard on the western edge of O’Hare Airport.
Canadian Pacific’s earlier refusal to allow bridges through its property and the ensuing legal battle with the Tollway threatened to halt construction on the $3.4 billion O’Hare Western Access project, which has put members to work for more than 3 years and is expected to continue through 2025.
“With this agreement, the uncertainty looming for years over this project has been removed,” said Local 150 President-Business Manager James M. Sweeney. “With a clear path forward, workers can rest assured that they’ll continue to build this world-class highway and planners can begin to look ahead to the western entry into O’Hare.”
Sweeney has kept members informed on the status of this conflict for more than two years, and this agreement is a common-sense solution that benefits everyone.