CN has announced plans to build a new intermodal terminal in the Chicago area to meet growing demand for consumer goods in the Midwest. Its location would be near the communities of Minooka and Channahon in Grundy County, Illinois. To seek community acceptance, the railway will host a public open house on Jan. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Minooka High School South Campus, offering residents an opportunity to ask questions and learn details.
Residents of Minooka have expressed concern over the truck traffic the facility, about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, would bring to the community. The Village of Minooka filed suit last June to enforce vehicle weight limits on McLindon Road, which would provide one of two access points to the facility under CN’s plan.
Bordered by CN and CSX rail lines, and near Interstate 80, the site will eventually include 11 new industrial buildings as part of the logistics park adjacent to the intermodal terminal. CN says it is expected to remove 400,000 long-haul trucks from roadways annually, and that it has been designed to minimize impact on local roads following a traffic study with input from the two communities and the Illinois Department of Transportation. The railroad also projects the project will create approximately 600 construction jobs, 6,500 permanent jobs, and generate approximately $20.9 million in new tax revenue.
(CN photo)