New Joliet Train Station Construction Behind Schedule

Last week saw the Joliet Gateway Center, a new transportation hub in downtown Joliet, finally break ground. The center was first announced in 2010 but due to funding issues has taken a considerable amount of time to get up and running. The original estimates put the project at $42 million dollars but unforeseen costs and higher than expected material cost has pushed the overall price to about $50 million dollars.

This increase in cost and the overall delay has caused the plans to become less complex and ambitious. The center was originally meant to hold not only commuter and freight trains but also taxis and buses for interstate and in-state travel. This plan would make the Joliet Gateway Center a “gateway” into and out of Chicago, based on Joliet’s proximity to the major metropolitan area, according to the city officials. The prototype for this type of transportation center is seen by the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago, where almost all trains, buses and taxis originate from or end up at.

Thought the plans for multimodal (trains, buses, etc.) transportation hub have been hampered for the moment, city officials still speak optimistically about the plan eventually coming to fruition.