IDOT, UIUC reach agreement on research partnership

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today it has signed a six-year, $48 million agreement with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Illinois Center for Transportation at The Grainger College of Engineering to continue a longtime joint research program.

“We are excited about our progressing partnership with the Illinois Center for Transportation,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Together, we will continue to lead the way in innovative new technologies and practices to prepare our multimodal system for the future and better serve the public.”

Effective July 1, the agreement will explore the latest transportation needs in the state and extend a longstanding partnership with the University of Illinois. The partnership ensures Illinois stays at the forefront of solving key transportation challenges, such as creating safer and more sustainable infrastructure, reducing congestion, achieving more equitable transit systems, preparing for autonomous vehicles and more.

At the top of the list of priorities is developing and implementing next-generation mobility technologies, while ensuring a safe, resilient and net-zero emission transportation system by 2050.

“This agreement is a testimony of the long and sustainable relationship between IDOT and the University of Illinois,” said UIUC Chancellor Robert J. Jones. “We are pleased that the Illinois Center for Transportation continues to be at the forefront of developing transportation technologies that benefit the state, nation and world at large.”

The agreement marks a new milestone in the partnership between IDOT and UIUC. The two have worked together since the 1940s, with IDOT’s partnership with the Illinois Center for Transportation beginning in 2005. Through the program, industry members, academic professionals and government agencies have collaborated to complete almost 320 projects, with more than 40 scheduled to be in progress by this fall.

For more information, visit ict.illinois.edu.

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