HR0371LRB103 32976 LAW 62783 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, There are over 12,000 bridges under the
3jurisdiction of over 1,400 townships in Illinois; and
 
4    WHEREAS, There are numerous other stream, creek, lake,
5road, or other crossings that are currently under 20 feet in
6width, and therefore not identified as bridges, but still need
7to be replaced with new bridges to meet the needs of the
8Township Road System; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Township Bridge Program (TBP) is a legislated
10fund, under 605 ILCS 5/6-901, designated for the construction
11and maintenance of bridges on the Township Highway System; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The TBP was initiated in 1979 with an annual
13allocation of $15 million from the Illinois Road Fund and has
14received no increase in funding level in the 43 years since it
15was established; meanwhile, the Illinois Road Fund has seen an
16increase in revenue of over 400% over the same duration; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The Engineering News Record Construction Cost
18Index has increased over 300% since initiation of the TBP;
19hence, $15 million from 1980 would equate to a TBP
20appropriation of $3.69 million today or a loss of 75% of the
21program's purchasing power; and
 

 

 

HR0371- 2 -LRB103 32976 LAW 62783 r

1    WHEREAS, The TBP resulted in the number of deficient
2township bridges being reduced from 6,063 to 1,624 over the
3past 43 years, and the average life span of a township bridge
4is approximately 55 years; therefore, the bridges constructed
5during the infancy of TBP will need to be replaced over the
6next 10 years; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Township bridges account for the largest number
8of load and width restrictions present within the
9transportation network of the State of Illinois, thereby
10negatively impacting the ability to transport agricultural and
11industrial goods and equipment throughout the State;
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
14HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15we urge Illinois to increase support for the Township Bridge
16Program (TBP) to ensure the reliability and safety of township
17bridges; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19delivered to Governor JB Pritzker.