Illinois delegation wants state to come up with construction plan

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SPRINGFIELD - The entire Illinois congressional delegation united Friday to urge Gov. Rod Blagojevich and state lawmakers to come up with a statewide construction plan. If they don't, the state could lose federal money meant to repair Illinois roads and bridges. And the delays could be costly, according to a letter sent Friday from the delegation to Blagojevich and state lawmakers. &#8220These infrastructure needs will not go away, and the longer we wait to fund them, the more expensive these projects will be,” the letter from the 21 congressional members read. State lawmakers have wrangled over a construction plan for months, and interest was further stoked by the recent interstate bridge collapse in Minneapolis. But disagreements among state Democratic and Republican leaders have stalled progress and led to a gridlock federal lawmakers urged them to resolve. &#8220We really want to give them a push,” said U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria. The state Senate plans to return to Springfield on Monday to tackle a construction plan, as well as the financial problems of the Chicago-area mass transit system. Both issues have been mired in politics. LaHood wants to see Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican former House Speaker Dennis Hastert call meetings to resolve the situation. That doesn't appear imminent, and LaHood acknowledged that without a mediator, a solution could be a long ways off. &#8220I think the picture is very bleak,” he said. Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Claffey said the state could lose $50 million in projects earmarked by federal lawmakers if a construction plan isn't in place. But he said federal lawmakers' interest in more road and bridge repair funding was good to hear. David Gilles, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, said the letter wasn't meant to criticize state officials for not putting together a construction plan. &#8220Let's just not let the money go to waste,” he said. Mike Riopell can be reached at mike.riopell@lee.net or (217) 789-0865.