Transportation leaders and local officials gathered Friday afternoon to celebrate the completion of a $380 million rail infrastructure project known as the Forest Hill Flyover, a 3-mile elevated rail corridor in the Ashburn neighborhood.
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program and its partners marked the conclusion of the public-private partnership project, which is part of the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project at the CSX Forest Hill Railyard located at 2252 W. 79th St.
In September 2024, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced the receipt of more than $209 million in funds that helped finish the flyover project, which officials have said would relieve one of the worst bottlenecks for passenger and freight rail traffic in the country.
The project was funded through a nearly $120 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant awarded in 2018 and $260 million from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, Chicago Department of Transportation and six railroads represented by the Association of American Railroads.
The Forest Hill Flyover is meant to resolve a longstanding rail bottleneck where tracks from railroads including CSX, Norfolk Southern, the Belt Railway Company of Chicago and Metra’s SouthWest Service meet.
The new structure separates freight and commuter routes, ending daily interference between roughly 35 freight trains and 30 passenger trains to improve consistency.
“The completion of the Forest Hill Flyover represents far more than new infrastructure – it’s a powerful step toward greater efficiency, enhanced network reliability, and an improved experience for the customers and communities we serve,” Steve Angel, president and chief executive officer of CSX, the lead partner on the project, said in a statement.
“Chicago is one of the nation’s most critical rail hubs, and the CREATE program showcases how smart investment and collaboration can deliver lasting value for the entire transportation system,” Angel said.
Nearly one in four U.S. freight trains pass through connections in the Chicago region.
Transportation leaders also highlighted the scope of work crews took on to complete the flyover project, with workers pouring more than 8,300 cubic yards of concrete, installing 23.5 million pounds of steel and contructing over 3,400 retaining wall pieces.
“This project shows what is possible through the power of partnership,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement. “Working together, the railroads along with the federal, state and local governments have tackled one of the worst rail bottlenecks in the country. ”
Craig Turner, acting Chicago Department of Transportation commissioner, said the flyover completion is a key milestone for the CREATE Program as well as for the city’s South Side.
“This project will not only keep trains moving efficiently but also make travel safer and reduce congestion for the residents who live in and move through these neighborhoods,” Turner said in a statement.
The Forest Hill Flyover is the 36th of 70 CREATE projects to be completed. Program leaders said in a statement the milestone highlights the CREATE program’s role as “a national model for modernizing infrastructure, improved mobility, and stronger supply chains.”