City of Carbondale breaks ground on Southern IL Multimodal Station
CARBONDALE, Ill. (KBSI) – The City of Carbondale held a groundbreaking for the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS).
The SIMMS project is set to modernize the region’s transportation systems.
When completed, SIMMS will serve as a hub for transportation options including Amtrak, Jackson County Mass Transit, RIDES Mass Transit, Shawnee Mass Transit, South Central Mass Transit, and Greyhound.
The system will enable users to navigate the 30-county region with greater efficiency.
This project secured investment from both federal and state sources which totaled more than $21 million in grants.
This financial backing exemplifies the recognition of SIMMS as a critical infrastructure development that will significantly contribute to the transportation network of Carbondale and the surrounding areas.
“This project has been a long time coming,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “Nearly four years ago, Senator Duckworth and I secured a $14 million BUILD grant to help take the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station from blueprints to today’s groundbreaking,” said Durbin. “I’m pleased to see federal investments come home to Illinois, where they can truly make a difference in the lives of our state’s residents by positively impacting our regional economy, creating jobs, and improving connectivity across the state.”
“Projects like the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station are great examples of the multiplying effect federal resources can bring to bear on State and local infrastructure investments, the impact these federal resources can have on our communities, and the kinds of things we can do when all levels of government come together,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth. “These projects aren’t just about improving quality of life for Southern Illinois residents—though that would’ve been reason enough to give it the green light. They’re about helping Illinoisans travel our great state more easily and with fewer delays, creating more good-paying union jobs for local construction workers and improving access for all riders.”
“When this building was put up in 1981, our annual ridership was about 62,000 passengers,” said Amtrak’s Vice President of Stations, Facilities, and Accessibility, Dr. David Handera. “Our pre-COVID ridership now is more than 84,000.We’ve grown the ridership in partnership with IDOT and outgrown this little building.”
Construction of the facility is expected to be completed in December 2024.
Tap here to see more details about the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station project.
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