Construction begins on Joliet transportation hub

Gov. Pat Quinn has broken ground on a transportation hub in downtown Joliet.

Quinn and Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider attended the ceremony on Friday morning. The $42 million project will overhaul the rail center. Quinn’s office calls it a “key stop” on the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail line. State officials say it will create nearly 400 construction jobs.

The first phase of the project starts Friday and includes construction of a 400-space parking lot. Joliet’s historic, century-old Union Station will be preserved and incorporated into the design of the new station’s campus.

The center is slated to be finished by 2015.