2008 Press Releases

December 19, 2008
As millions of Illinois residents prepare to hit the roadways to visit family and friends this holiday season, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Milton R. Sees announced today the agency will be giving motorists a break by suspending lane closures where possible over the Christmas Holiday weekend. Secretary Sees also urged drivers to closely monitor weather reports before beginning any long distance car trips, and to check IDOT’s website - www.gettingaroundillinois.com – for travel directions and the latest information on winter road conditions across the state. Information is also available by phone from a toll-free hotline.

December 18, 2008
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Illinois State Police officials announced at a news conference today details about the You Drink & Drive. You Lose campaign and efforts to keep impaired drivers off the streets this holiday season.

December 8, 2008
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Milton R. Sees announced today that the agency will be recognized this week for its commitment to reducing fuel usage, recycling and saving money.

December 4, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that the first-of-its-kind Operation Teen Safe Driving program in Illinois has been recognized as a national finalist for a PR News Nonprofit PR Award.

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November 17, 2008
With highway fatalities down by 22 percent provisionally thus far in 2008, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced an all out Click It or Ticket mobilization aimed at saving even more lives during the Thanksgiving Holiday.

November 10, 2008
IDOT and ISP Announce Winter Preparations and Urge Drivers To Stress Safety Message: “Ice and Snow – Take it Slow”

October 30, 2008
As Illinoisans gear up for Halloween this year, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police (ISP), Secretary of State Police (SOS) and local police agencies throughout Illinois are warning motorists about the dangers of impaired driving

October 30, 2008
In an effort to improve public transportation services in downstate Illinois, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced a total of $5.88 million in federal grants to 16 downstate transit agencies and local governments.

October 28, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced the completion of the $165 million Corridor Improvement Project of Interstate 55 in Will County.

October 28, 2008
Leaders of the Blagojevich Administration joined local leaders today to announce the completion and grand opening of IL Route 336 from just west of the city of Macomb in Henderson County westerly to Carthage in Hancock County.

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October 22, 2008
As a result of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s signing of “Tina’s Law,” the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) today installed the first authorized DUI memorial sign to recognize the tragic loss of life due to drunk driving.

October 21, 2008
In an effort to reduce work zone-related fatalities, the Illinois Department Of Transportation, the Illinois State Board of Education, the American Traffic Safety Services Foundation (ATSSF) and the Illinois Chapter of the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) are sponsoring the 4th Annual Illinois Work Zone Safety Calendar Contest for elementary students.

October 15, 2008
With a record number of civil engineers expected to retire within the next few years, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich is pleased to announce the Illinois Department of Transportation’s first Civil Engineer Scholarship Program. Scholarships provided as part of this new program will give selected students up to $7,000 per academic year as an incentive to continue their civil engineering education.

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October 9, 2008
The fall season is here and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) want to remind motorists that deer are more active during the fall, which increases the likelihood of vehicle crashes involving deer.

October 2, 2008
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Milton R. Sees welcomed central Illinois students to the agency’s second annual Career Day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds

September 22, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced that federal transportation officials have provided formal approval for the Prairie Parkway project that is intended to deliver major transportation improvements for fast growing Kane, Kendall and Grundy counties.

September 17, 2008
As harvest season gets underway throughout Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Illinois Department of Agriculture today (IDOA) are reminding motorists that tractors and farm equipment are out on the roadways. Farmers are also reminded to get overweight permits during harvest season and they need to pay special attention to posted roads and bridges.

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September 17, 2008
Illinois Department of Transportation Partners with National Seat Check Saturday to Urge Parents and Caregivers to Get Their Child Safety Seats Inspected

August 28, 2008
As part of an ongoing effort to conserve energy, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) today released a new brochure that provides the driving public with tips on how to reduce fuel consumption.

August 28, 2008
With thousands of people traveling over the upcoming holiday weekend, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Tollway announced they will be suspending roadwork where possible to make for a smoother drive this Labor Day weekend

August 22, 2008
Representatives of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s administration were joined today by state legislators and local officials for a ribbon-cutting to mark the opening of a new section of the IL 255 Alton Bypass.

August 14, 2008
Representatives of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s administration were joined today by Secretary of State Jesse White and corporate sponsors to kick off the second year of Operation Teen Safe Driving. The groundbreaking effort was designed to reduce teen crashes and save lives on Illinois’ roadways and is the first of its kind in the nation.

July 29, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that Illinois’ bridges are ranked 6th in the nation in terms of sufficiency, but stressed more needs to be done to ensure that they remain safe.

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July 11, 2008
Governor Blagojevich welcomes NASCAR to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet

June 23, 2008
Traffic safety leaders from the Blagojevich administration and the Office of Secretary of State Jesse White today joined federal and local advocates in Springfield at a town hall meeting, designed to keep impaired drivers off the roads in Illinois.

June 18, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in coordination with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), announced that the Mississippi River crossings are closed at Gulfport (U.S. Rt. 34) and Ft. Madison (IL Rt. 96)

June 5, 2008
Gov. Blagojevich awards $4.5 million for new paratransit vehicles across Illinois

May 28, 2008
Dan Ryan Expressway/I-90/94 Lane Closures Announced for June and July

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May 28, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is seeking sponsors for the Official Highway Map for 2009-2010 in order to offset operational costs and to provide marketing opportunities through a public/private partnership

May 22, 2008
The Blagojevich Administration today unveiled a $10.875 billion Multi-year Highway Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2009-2014 for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

May 8, 2008
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Milton R. Sees today honored three IDOT District 9 employees, who helped save a man’s life this March, during the flooding in southern Illinois.

May 8, 2008
FRANKLIN COUNTY – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today renamed a section of Interstate 57 in honor of longtime southern Illinois Congressman Kenneth J. Gray. From now on, I-57 between Mile Post 0, at the Illinois State Line to Mile Post 106, at the Marion/Jefferson County Line will be known as “Ken Gray Expressway.”

May 6, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police (ISP), and local law enforcement agencies will conduct the largest Click It or Ticket (CIOT) mobilization in the state's history during the month of May.

May 5, 2008
As the weather warms up and more and more bicyclists are taking to the roads around the state, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today launched a public awareness effort to educate drivers about a new state law requiring motorists to pass bicyclists with at least three feet to spare.

May 2, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation District 1 announced it is scheduled to start work on a series if pothole patching contracts worth a total of $16.3 million on Monday, May 5, weather permitting, in Cook and Kane Counties, and the following Monday, May 12, in DuPage County.

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May 1, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, Secretary of State Jesse White, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police (ISP), Ford Motor Company Fund, The Allstate Foundation, and supporters of Operation Teen Safe Driving today announced the final round of winning schools to participate in the statewide safety initiative designed to educate teens about safe driving to save lives

April 29, 2008
In order to put a spotlight on motorcycle safety as the 2008 riding season gets underway, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich has proclaimed May Motorcycle Awareness Month in Illinois.

April 28, 2008
Public and private sector partners involved in the CREATE Program (the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program) broke ground today on a $4.2 million railroad modernization project that will upgrade the signal system and help mitigate conflicting use of tracks among freight trains, Metra, and Amtrak along the Indiana Harbor Belt Corridor from Bedford Park to Summit.

April 18, 2008
As part of the state’s overall response to today's earthquake in southeastern Illinois, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich directed the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to ensure road and bridge safety throughout the affected area.

April 17, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that starting on May 5, weather permitting, the IL Rt. 7 Bridge between Lockport and Romeoville will be closed in both directions for a resurfacing project until the end of August.

April 13, 2008
Gov. Blagojevich announces upgrades for security systems at Interstate highway rest areas in Illinois

April 12, 2008
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are highlighting the importance of safety in road construction work zones across the state by honoring 12 student winners in the 2008 Illinois Work Zone Safety Calendar Contest.

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April 8, 2008
As the 2008 highway construction begins, Governor Rod. R. Blagojevich announced that work zone fatalities are down by more than half since 2003.

March 31, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that, weather permitting, starting on Friday, April 4, it will begin putting into effect the closure of one lane in each direction along the entire length of the Edens Expressway/Interstate 94.

March 26, 2008
The contest judges have cast their votes and have determined the winners of the 2007-2008 Illinois Work Zone Safety Calendar Contest!

March 19, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation would like to alert motorists of the following road closures due to flooding

March 9, 2008
Gov. Blagojevich announces traffic safety partnership with NASCAR as 2008 Sprint Cup season picks up speed

March 7, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s administration today submitted an updated airport layout plan for the South Suburban Airport in Will County to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

March 6, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced $8.3 million for 112 projects across the state as part of a new federally funded program designed to make it safer for kids to walk and bike to school.

February 29, 2008
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Milton R. Sees today appeared before a group of transportation industry leaders in Chicago to push for support of the Blagojevich Administration’s $25 billion Illinois Works capital investment plan

February 28, 2008
ST. LOUIS – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois and Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri announced an agreement to construct a new four-lane bridge across the Mississippi River from East St. Louis to St. Louis that will improve traffic safety and reduce congestion across the region.

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February 19, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced that work will resume on the I-55 Corridor Improvement Project in Will County weather permitting on Sunday, March 3.

January 30, 2008
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and law enforcement agencies around the state remind you to act responsibly by designating a sober driver if you plan to consume alcohol this Super Bowl weekend.

January 18, 2008
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, along with Secretary of State Jesse White, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Ford Motor Company Fund, The Allstate Foundation, and supporters of Operation Teen Safe Driving are proud to announce 105 winning entries from Illinois high schools, for the statewide safety initiative.

January 4, 2008
Gov Blagojevich announces more than 200 schools have submitted applications for Operation Teen Safe Driving; Allstate Foundation joins Ford as corporate sponsor

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