Contributed photo
Contributed photo
At a recent meeting, Springfield City Council approved an agreement with the state and county to consolidate all high-speed rail through the city onto the 10th Street Corridor tracks.
The deadline for consolidation is Dec. 31, 2026.
Currently, Union Pacific freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains run on the Third Street Corridor.
As part of the agreement, the city will close five Third Street crossings by the end of this year and make safety upgrades. The state, through the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will take over jurisdiction of Madison and Jefferson streets from Ninth Street to the start of Clear Lake Avenue, and Clear Lake Avenue to Interstate 55.
Springfield will pay up to $850,000 for excavation and preservation of a historical site along the 10th Street corridor, where the 1908 Springfield Race Riot took place and where artifacts were found.
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