Deerfield Metra station to get $1.7 million upgrade

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois will receive more than $16.9 million in federal grants for highway improvement and planning, $1.7 million of which will replace two pedestrian crossing and an underpass at the lakek-Cook Metra station in Deerfield.

The awards from the U.S. Department of Transportation include $3.75 million toward reconstruction of Interstate 57 and $3.6 million to study the best route for Interstate 66 across southern Illinois between Paducah, Ky., and Interstate 55 in Missouri.

Another $2.7 million will pay for pedestrian safety devices at 78 locations along the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor .

More than 1,800 applications totaling $13 billion poured into the Federal Highway Administration in June — more than 30 times the funds available from 14 federal grant programs.