The Illinois interstate system is over 40 years old. The gas tax in Illinois hasn’t been raised since 1990. Currently Illinois collects 19¢ for every gallon of gas that is pumped. Originally, all money received from gas taxation was promised to go toward transportation. At this time, 11¢ are being diverted to other needs. which totals $690 million is diverted every year.
Several areas are suffering due to this diversion of funds. Without new funding, Metra will be forced to divert some $60 million in capital projects to cover maintenance. The CTA has a $110 million budget gap.
Total number of Illinois state-owned bridges: 8,085
Number of Illinois state-owned bridges that are classified as functionally obsolete (FO) and/or structurally deficient (SD): 1,633 (20%)
Total county/city/township bridges in Illinois: 18,018
Number of county/city/township bridges in Illinois classified as FO and/or SD: 2,950 (16%)
Total number of bridges located in the state of Illinois: 26,103
Total number of bridges located in Illinois that are classified as FO and/or SD: 4,583 (18%)