CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will be at the White House on Monday, as President Biden is expected to sign the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law.
Once signed, it will start the process of funneling billions of dollars into transportation projects across the country. The bill calls for $1 trillion to be allocated or spent within five years.
Erin Aleman, head of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, said the bill comes close to answering the question: what would you do if you have all the money in the world?
Aleman said federal infrastructure bills are common, but added that the $1 trillion bill that passed the House over a week ago is different.
"This one is larger than expected and has so many programs that will help solve congestion and bring about sustainability into our transportation system," said CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman.
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Illinois will get $17 billion to fund road, bridge, and railroad projects. It will also help pay for a network of charging stations for electric vehicles.
"It has significant funding for transit across our region...On the highway side, there's about a 32 percent increase in funding for roads and bridges," Aleman said.
Engineers said some bridges across the state have significant structural issues that need to be addressed.
She said the infrastructure bill will reduce congestion, and help with the flow of goods through the Chicago area.
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