By Illinois Public Radio/KWMU
Springfield, Ill. – The Blagojevich administration's long range plan for road construction in Illinois lacks major new projects because of concerns over money.
A federal highway funding bill has yet to pass Congress, and Illinois transportation secretary Tim Martin says that uncertainty makes it difficult to plan.
"We have chosen not to add new significant projects into the program because of the unknown at the federal level."
Also unclear is whether state lawmakers will approve borrowing additional money to pay for numerous projects around Illinois.
Martin says with all the financial question marks, the focus in the next year will be on road and bridge maintenance and continuing projects already underway.
That includes work on the Poplar Street Bridge and the I-55-64-70 interchange in East St. Louis.