Rebuild Illinois Act: A Complete Guide to the State’s Historic Infrastructure Bill

Table of Contents#

1. What Is the Rebuild Illinois Act?
2. Core Funding Sources for the Plan
3. Key Investment Areas & Project Breakdown
4. Expected Benefits for Illinois Residents & Businesses
5. Common Criticisms & Implementation Challenges
6. How to Track Rebuild Illinois Projects in Your Area
7. Final Takeaways
8. References

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What Is the Rebuild Illinois Act?#

Signed into law in June 2019 by Governor JB Pritzker with bipartisan legislative support, the Rebuild Illinois Act is the state’s first comprehensive capital infrastructure plan in more than 20 years. It was developed to address a $41 billion backlog of unmet infrastructure needs that had accumulated across decades of underinvestment. Unlike narrow infrastructure bills focused only on roads, the Rebuild Illinois Act takes a whole-of-community approach, with investments spanning transportation, water systems, broadband access, public education facilities, and climate resilience projects. The plan requires 45% of all funding to go to disadvantaged communities that have historically been excluded from infrastructure investment, aligned with the state’s Justice40 equity commitments.

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Core Funding Sources for the Plan#

The $45 billion budget is funded through a mix of state revenue streams and federal matching funds, with no increase to personal state income taxes:

1. Gas tax adjustment: The state gas tax was doubled from 19 cents to 38 cents per gallon in 2019, and indexed to inflation to keep pace with rising construction costs.
2. Vehicle-related fees: Registration fees for gas-powered vehicles increased by $50, while electric vehicle (EV) owners pay an annual$251 fee to offset their lack of gas tax contributions.
3. New state revenue streams: A portion of revenue from state-legalized cannabis sales, expanded casino licensing, and sports betting is allocated to the plan.
4. Federal matching funds: Approximately 30% of the total budget comes from federal infrastructure grants, including funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
5. **Repurposed existing funds: Underutilized state transportation and capital funds were reallocated to high-priority projects.

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Key Investment Areas & Project Breakdown#

Funding is split across 5 core priority areas, with specific, measurable goals for each:

1. Transportation ($33.2 billion, 74% of total budget)#

The largest share of funding goes to fixing and expanding the state’s transportation network:

• Roads and bridges ($25.3 billion): Resurface 4,200 miles of roads and repair or replace 850 structurally deficient bridges by 2025. Notable projects include upgrades to the I-80 corridor in northern Illinois and rural road resurfacing in 87 downstate counties.
• Public transit ($4.5 billion): Fund accessibility upgrades for CTA, Metra, and Pace systems, replace 1,000 aging CTA rail cars, and expand service for downstate transit systems in Peoria, Springfield, and Rockford.
• Airports ($2 billion): Support ongoing O’Hare International Airport modernization, Midway Airport terminal upgrades, and safety improvements for 40 regional downstate airports.
• **Freight rail ($1.4 billion)**: Expand the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program to reduce freight train delays that cost the region$1 billion annually.

2. Water and Sewer Infrastructure ($4.4 billion, 10% of total budget)#

• Fund the full replacement of all lead service lines in the state (estimated 700,000 lines total) by 2035, with priority given to low-income neighborhoods at highest risk of lead poisoning. Chicago alone is using $1.5 billion in Rebuild Illinois funds to replace 380,000 lead lines.
• Upgrade 200 wastewater treatment plants and fund stormwater mitigation projects to reduce chronic flooding in Chicago’s South Side and Mississippi River valley communities.

3. Broadband Access ($420 million, 1% of total budget)#

• Expand high-speed 25/3 Mbps internet access to the 230,000 Illinois households that currently lack service, via the state’s Connect Illinois grant program. As of 2024, 120 completed broadband projects have connected 150,000 underserved rural and urban households.

4. Public Facilities ($3.5 billion, 8% of total budget)#

• Fund safety and accessibility upgrades for 2,000 K-12 public schools, including HVAC replacements and campus security improvements.
• Upgrade facilities at all 12 public state universities and 48 community colleges, and make accessibility improvements to state parks, veteran homes, and correctional facilities.

5. Climate and Clean Energy Projects ($1.2 billion, 3% of total budget)#

• Install 500 public EV charging stations across the state by 2025 to support the goal of 1 million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030.
• Clean up 300 abandoned brownfield industrial sites and fund reforestation and flood resilience projects across the state.

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Expected Benefits for Illinois Residents & Businesses#

1. Job creation: The plan is projected to create 540,000 full-time equivalent jobs over its 6-year lifespan, with a mandatory 25% of contracts awarded to minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs). As of 2023, $8 billion in contracts had already been awarded to MWBEs.
2. Lower household costs: The state estimates that fixing damaged roads will save the average Illinois driver $1,100 annually in car repair costs, while lead pipe replacement will reduce long-term healthcare costs associated with childhood lead poisoning by an estimated$2 billion annually.
3. Economic growth: The plan is projected to generate $50 billion in total economic output over 10 years, and improved freight and broadband networks are expected to attract 400 new businesses to the state by 2027.
4. Improved quality of life: Reduced transit delays, expanded internet access for remote work and telehealth, and reduced flood risk are expected to benefit 90% of Illinois residents by 2030.

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Common Criticisms & Implementation Challenges#

While the plan has broad public support, it has faced notable criticisms and operational hurdles:

1. Regressive funding concerns: The gas tax and vehicle fee increases disproportionately impact low-income rural residents, who rely on personal vehicles for work and have limited access to public transit.
2. Implementation delays: As of 2024, 25% of planned projects are delayed 3-6 months due to post-COVID supply chain shortages for construction materials and a national shortage of skilled construction workers.
3. Transparency gaps: Some state lawmakers and community groups have criticized the lack of real-time public reporting on contract awards, with a 2023 state auditor report finding that 12% of awarded contracts did not meet the plan’s MWBE participation requirements.
4. EV fee backlash: EV owners argue that the $251 annual EV fee is 2-3 times higher than the average gas tax paid by owners of fuel-efficient gas cars, discouraging EV adoption in the state.

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How to Track Rebuild Illinois Projects in Your Area#

You can monitor planned and active projects in your community using official state resources:

1. Visit the official Rebuild Illinois public dashboard and enter your zip code to view project timelines, funding amounts, and contact information for project managers.
2. Contact your local state representative or county transportation department to request updates on neighborhood-specific projects.
3. Sign up for email updates from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for regional project announcements and public input sessions.

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Final Takeaways#

The Rebuild Illinois Act represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix decades of underinvestment in the state’s infrastructure, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and reduce longstanding equity gaps for disadvantaged communities. While implementation hurdles and valid criticisms of the plan’s funding structure remain, its long-term benefits are projected to far outweigh short-term costs for most residents. Holding state and local officials accountable to transparent, equitable spending will be key to ensuring the plan delivers on its full promise for all Illinois communities.

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References#

1. Illinois General Assembly. (2019). Public Act 101-0029: Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan. Retrieved from https://ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?name=101-0029
2. Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). (2024). Rebuild Illinois Official Website. Retrieved from https://rebuildillinois.illinois.gov/
3. Office of Governor JB Pritzker. (2023). Rebuild Illinois 4-Year Progress Report. Retrieved from https://www.illinois.gov/governor/newsroom/reports/rebuild-illinois-4-year-progress-report
4. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). (2024). Lead Service Line Replacement Program: Rebuild Illinois. Retrieved from https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/water/drinking-water/lead-service-line-replacement/Pages/default.aspx
5. Illinois Auditor General. (2023). Audit of Rebuild Illinois Contracting Compliance. Retrieved from https://www.auditor.illinois.gov/Audit-Reports/Performance-Audits/Rebuild-Illinois-Contracting-Compliance