Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Budgetary Construction & Engineering Cost Estimates

As the New Federal Transportation Bill entered into its final debates prior to its passage in July 2005, the Illinois Department of Transportation, working with the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Association of American Railroads, needed to have a comprehensive, updated construction and engineering cost estimate for the new Budget for the CREATE program. An established program, CREATE is a series of initiatives to modernize the rail transportation system through the Chicago Area to reduce delay time for freight rails.

Civiltech Engineering was retained to examine 25 existing at-grade railroad crossings to determine the best grade separation scheme for each of these separate and distinct locations, and to develop a cost estimate that considered roadway and railway reconstruction, bridges, retaining walls and structures, utility relocations, land acquisitions, building demolitions, environmental mitigations and engineering plans and studies. In-depth coordination was conducted with the railroads, the AAR, CDOT and IDOT.

A comprehensive report was completed within 6 weeks of study, utilizing specialists from within Civiltech, as well as the structural engineering firm of Modjeski & Masters. The final report will serve as a guide for all three CREATE parties as the modernization of the Chicago railway system proceeds.