State Transportation Department To Stop Construction Due To Budget Impasse

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 21, 2016 9:41PM

Getty Images / Photo: Joseph Raedle

The Illinois Department of Transportation will suspend construction beginning June 30 due to the ongoing state budget impasse, according to statement shared with Chicagoist by IDOT Public Information Officer Gianna Urgo. The full release, with decidedly pro-stopgap language, is below:

"We have started to inform our industry partners that all of our projects in both construction and engineering phases will be shutting down starting June 30 due to the majority party in the legislature's failure to pass a balanced budget. The conversation about how individual projects will wind down is continuing. The stopgap proposal is a fiscally responsible solution proposed by the Republican leaders that can be voted on today. There will be no interruption in our projects and programs if the General Assembly returns to Springfield and passes HB 6585/SB 3435."

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday said the impasse has entered "absolute crisis phase." We'll see if he and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan actually do meet Wednesday, as they often threat but rarely do. This post will be updated accordingly.