Railroad overpass to be built in New Lenox on Gougar Road

Will County will build a railroad overpass in New Lenox with the help of $27.1 million in federal money.

The county has announced that it received the funds to build an overpass on Gougar Road at the Wisconsin Central/Canadian National tracks.

The funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration is “the largest transportation grant in Will County history,” according to a news release from the county.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026.

“This historic investment from the federal government will greatly improve access and safety for residents in a fast-growing area of Will County,” Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in the release. “By eliminating delays from blocked rail crossings, we are increasing mobility for residents and emergency responders in a heavily trafficked corridor.”

The entire cost of the project $51.8 million.

The Illinois Commerce Commission is funding $18 million, and Will County is spending $6.7 million.

Gougar Road will be raised over the tracks at the location, replacing an existing at-grade crossing. The overpass project also will create an pedestrian pathway connecting with an existing path network in the community.

Costs related to the project include the relocation of a ComEd transmission towers near the crossing.

The release described Gougar Road as “a critical north-south corridor,” noting it connects neighborhoods with Lincoln-Way West High School and provides a major route for emergency responders to Silver Cross Hospital.

“This separation will allow for safer north/south travel for many in Will County, and could be the difference of life and death when it comes to ambulances trying to get to Silver Cross Hospital from the south side of the tracks,” Mayor Tim Baldermann said in the release.

Both Will County and the Illinois Commerce Commission will contribute a 20 percent local match for the federal funds. The ICC is contributing $18 million.

The federal funding is part of a $1.1 billion Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program supporting 123 projects around the country.