Governor Bruce Rauner announced on Tuesday about a plan to invest just over $11-billion in state roads and bridges over the next 6 years, which includes $2.2-billion of state and federal funding for this upcoming fiscal year. IDOT’s Multi-Year Proposed Highway Improvement Program will focus on projects that will provide the greatest economic benefit to communities, which will help the state take advantage of long-term strategies. Rauner says that the state over time will save money on these projects. He continued by saying that investing in transportation can create jobs, increase economic opportunities, improve safety and make Illinois a better place to raise a family. He added that with this plan, it will make Illinois more competitive, while protecting the interest of taxpayers. A total of 1,945 miles of Illinois roadways will have improvements, along with 525 bridges maintained by the state. The multiyear plan is the Illinois Department of Transportation’s 1st, which helps embrace asset management strategies, that will commit to smaller repairs and avoid the higher costs of deferred maintenance. By using this approach, IDOT will realize savings over multiple years and eventually invest in other projects throughout the state. The plan also builds up on the latest in data-driven tools to help identify projects that will provide the most value to the public, while improving quality of life and regional mobility. You can find out more about the Proposed Highway Improvement Program for the 2019 to 2024 Fiscal Years at idot.illinois.gov.