Springfield’s $557 million rail improvement project nears completion after over 10 years of construction starting in 2014, promising to streamline the city’s transit system with a two-lane railroad corridor, boost urban renewal with a state-of-the-art transportation center, and make space for a six-mile greenway upon completion in 2027.
During a presentation Friday, Jan. 24, at the Citizens Club of Springfield, city and county officials outlined plans to finish work on the sixth and final “usable segment” of construction to accommodate the new two-lane railroad along the 10th Street corridor. Construction of overpasses and underpasses is aimed at improving traffic flow and eliminating excess train noise between Stanford Avenue and Sangamon Avenue.
The final usable segment, which will begin construction in spring 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2027, will include the North Grand overpass located from 11th to 19th Street, and the North Grand Avenue underpass from Ninth to 11th Street.
The project will remove some of the barriers to commercial activity and residential connectivity presented by the large number of train tracks that crisscross Springfield. Chief City Engineer Nathan Bottom said the single track on the Third Street corridor has been a “bottleneck in the city’s transit system for years,” causing Amtrak delays and blocking emergency vehicles.
“By adding a double track on the 10th Street corridor, that will substantially improve the [Amtrak performance] time,” said Bottom. “We’ll also be an economic catalyst for not only the downtown but also improve areas of persistent poverty, providing access to jobs, medical care, shopping and recreation.” Bottom said the addition also improves environmental conditions, including the livability of Springfield, by substantially reducing train horn noise throughout the city.
Federal regulations require all trains to sound their horn when approaching a street intersection to alert drivers and pedestrians to its approach. Rail consolidation and the construction of less intrusive rail crossing intersections will create a “significant noise reduction” along the new double-tracked 10th Street rail corridor, according to Bottom.
At the heart of the city’s improvement plan is a three-story transit center simply called “The Hub,” located on the corner of South 11th Street and East Washington Street. Sangamon County Administrator Brian McFadden says they called it by that name because of the central access it will provide travelers to every part of the city. The future focal point of travel in the city will be both a Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD) bus transfer station, which is already in operation, and a high-volume railroad which will accommodate travelers and freight trains alike. Springfield officials predict travel in and out of the state will increase significantly by 2030, with both passenger trains and freight trains from Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific nearly doubling in the next five years.
The Hub will be connected to a parking garage that can hold up to 600 cars, with plans to expand it up to 700 spaces. Connected to the main platforms via a pedestrian sky bridge, the parking garage will feature electric vehicle charging stations, a solar panel array to generate clean energy, license plate scanners to accommodate payment for parking, and the ability to pay for parking with a phone.
Another element of the project is the “Third Street Greenway,” a six-mile park built on the old Third Street railway between Stanford Avenue and the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The green space will offer safe bicycle and walking trails, connecting visitors to businesses and points of interest.
The Greenway will begin construction in 2027 when the railway project is completed. Chief structural engineer for Hanson Professional Services Dennis Wilkinson says they plan to turn the overpass at Capitol Avenue into a focal point of the Greenway due to the unique view of the Capitol it provides and the proximity to amenities.
“We look to have connections from the Greenway [all the way] down Capitol Avenue as well,” said Wilkinson. “The middle of it is kind of called a central core area, that’s really between Monroe Street and Washington Street. There’s a fair amount of businesses through there. This is where we’d be looking to try to have more of a positive type of space and allow people to congregate and move around.”
Learn more about the project at springfieldrailroad.com.
This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 5, 2025.
