The Great Lakes Basin Railroad Project further delayed its environmental review process.
The project aims to create a freight line from southern Wisconsin, cutting through northern Illinois, and ending in northwest Indiana. It aims to bypass congested Chicago freight yards and decrease transit times.
Parent company Great Lakes Basin Transportation Inc. had the federal Service Transportation Board suspend its environmental review process in December so it could provide more information for its formal application.
The board granted a similar delay until April 30, but says it will suspend regulatory evaluation entirely if it doesn’t receive an application by May 1.
The project remains controversial among people living along the route, who worry about eminent domain and property values. WNIJ reached out to the company, but it had no comment on the STB’s latest response.
You can learn more about the Great Lakes Basin Railroad through our Down The Line series.