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Illinois State Freight Plan
Freight transportation in Illinois is a key driver of the state’s economy and is integral to the global system of trade, despite being in the interior of the continent. Intermodal service is a principal advantage that Illinois brings to supply chain businesses; this advantage helps drive the state’s economy. Businesses are dependent on moving agricultural products, raw materials, and finished products efficiently. This requires an integrated system of freight transportation and Illinois’ transportation network and freight services provide a full range of options.
Current Illinois State Freight Plan
The 2023 Illinois Freight Plan Executive Summary is a high-level overview of the 2023 Illinois Freight Plan. It discusses the main topics of the Freight Plan giving a snapshot of what is addressed.
The Illinois 2023 State Freight Plan was developed in accordance with federal guidelines for state freight plans as outlined in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Illinois is a vibrant and thriving hub for freight, with 147,000 miles of roadway, over 10,000 miles of railroad tracks, 1,118 miles of navigable waterways, and numerous airports, pipeline, and other facilities carrying goods across the State. In 2019, about 1.6 billion tons ($2.5 trillion dollars) of freight flowed into, out of, and through Illinois. According to the FHWA, Illinois is the third busiest freight state when measured by value, and fourth when measured by tonnage.
In addition to the Illinois 2023 State Freight Plan, IDOT created nine individual District Freight Plans and 102 County Freight Profiles. Each district has its own specific plan with detailed analysis of freight needs and developments to help identify projects that will benefit freight movement within that district. These plans are also used to apprise freight transportation programs, policies, and projects for that specific region.
The 2017 Illinois State Freight Plan was developed in accordance with freight plan guidelines established in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was signed into law in December 2015. Over 1 billion tons of freight, valued at nearly $3 trillion, was moved to, from, or within Illinois in 2014. Freight movement in Illinois relies on a multimodal network of highways, railroads, waterways, and airports. The freight plan provides data and analysis on the movement of these goods and also identifies major freight corridors and bottlenecks. Also included is a freight investment plan which shows the projects that will be funded with the freight formula funds provided under the FAST Act. These projects were selected through the Illinois Competitive Freight Program, which allowed stakeholders to submit freight projects for evaluation using a transparent set of eligibility and scoring criteria. The finalized freight plan, including the freight investment plan, has been reviewed and approved by the FHWA.
Illinois Freight Plan Project Support Submission
To increase understanding and awareness of freight related needs, issues, and projects in Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is creating an updatable illustrative project list for the 2023 Freight Plan. It is intended to help identify freight related projects which will improve the safety, efficiency, reliability, equity, resiliency, and sustainability of the multi-modal freight system.
This list is intended to assist the IDOT in better understanding the full range of proposed activities that are aligned with the IDOT vision and goals for freight, and help advance the DOT’s mission for safe, cost-effective transportation throughout Illinois.
In addition to being added to our freight plan, your agency may also request a letter of support for your project. To submit your project for potential support and/or a letter of support, click on this hyperlink (Support Request Form) and it will take you to the google form to fill out. Once the form is complete click the send button to submit.
These requests are reviewed quarterly, and we will inform you of your approval or denial once the review is complete. If you have any questions, please email DOT.ILFreightPlanning@illinois.gov .