Chicago Construction News staff writer
The State of Illinois has finalized the acquisition of nearly 50 acres of land needed to move forward with the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, a major federal effort aimed at stopping invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes.
The property, located in Will County and including access to the Brandon Road lock, was donated to the state by Midwest Generation LLC. The donation clears a significant hurdle in the construction of barriers and other technologies designed to block the spread of the invasive fish species, which threaten native ecosystems and the regional economy.
The land closing comes after months of delay caused by a hold on federal funding. Illinois officials said they moved ahead with the acquisition after receiving written assurances from the federal government earlier this month that it would continue to support the project financially.
Midwest Generation’s donation of the land enables construction work to proceed at the lock and dam site near Joliet, a key point where invasive carp could enter the Great Lakes system.
The Brandon Road project is being led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in coordination with Illinois and other Great Lakes states. It includes a series of deterrent systems such as electric barriers, noise generators, and air bubble curtains, designed to keep the fish from moving upriver.
Environmental and economic groups have long warned that invasive carp, if allowed into the Great Lakes, could outcompete native fish species and disrupt commercial and recreational fishing industries.
With the land in state hands, officials say the next phase of the project can begin.
