WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (both D-Ill.) on Wednesday introduced legislation to create a $1.5 billion grant program to fund bridge repair, maintenance, and replacement on commuter rail lines. The Building Rail Infrastructure for a Durable and Growing Economy (BRIDGE) Act would use funds from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund for a program to provide $1.5 billion annually in fiscal years 2027 to 2031. In announcing the bill, Duckworth highlighted the more than 200 bridges on Chicago’s Metra system in need of repair. “Across Chicago and cities around the country, thousands of commuters rely on rail bridges that are more than a century old — bridges that were never meant to carry today’s level of traffic, Duckworth said in a press release. “The BRIDGE Act represents a critical investment in the long-term safety and reliability of our region’s commuter rail system,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski, “and will deliver urgently needed resources for bridge replacement and rehabilitation, ensuring commuter rail remains a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation option for generations to come.”The full text of the bill is available here.