Chicago Construction News staff writer
Illinois has signed an agreement with Michigan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to co-sponsor construction of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project. The agreement unlocks $274 million in federal and $114 million in state funding for the first of three phases of the $1.15 billion project designed to prevent invasive carp and aquatic nuisance species from entering the Great Lakes.
“Today’s agreement will help us get shovels in the ground as soon as possible on the critical Brandon Road project,” said Michigan Governor Whitmer. “The Great Lakes are the beating heart of Michigan’s economy, and Brandon Road will help us protect local communities and key industries, including fishing and boating, that support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.
“I am grateful to Gov. Pritzker in Illinois, the Army Corps of Engineers, and our champions in Congress for their long-term partnership on this monumental task.”
Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet is a critical point to stop invasive carp from moving into the Great Lakes. The Brandon Road Interbasin project includes a complex series of invasive carp and aquatic nuisance species deterrents.
“The USACE Rock Island District has been working diligently with our partners in the states of Illinois and Michigan to move this critical project forward,” said Rock Island District Commander, Col. Aaron Williams. “We are excited to be entering this next phase of the project and are committed to preventing the upstream movement of invasive carp and other aquatic nuisance species into the Great Lakes.”
Silver carp are known to leap through the air and have caused injury to boaters in the Illinois River and other locations where they are present. In many cases, boaters cease to enjoy waters that are infested with silver carp, and fishing opportunities are greatly reduced.
And what when the Asian Carp somehow get around the $1.6 BILLION dollar project and invade the Lake Michigan waters anyway. Sounds to ne like a waste of money that could be used on more critical investments. The deterents already in place have worked really good to date so why waste this money? Somehow Prickster is gonna come out ahead and one more time we the people are gonna be left holding the $1.6 B unsuccessful project. We are getting screwed again in the name if safety I think we’ve heard that line of BS before. I vote NO!!!
Carlen – “when…….somehow”. shut up