The Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation (IACT) will be joining the Great River Road Collaboration project, which aims to unite ten Clean Cities & Communities coalitions along the Mississippi River’s Great River Road to establish an alternative fuel corridor that supports diverse clean fuel and vehicle technologies.
The Great River Road is a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road that follows the Mississippi River through 10 states, stretching almost 3,000 miles from the top of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The route holds both historic and aesthetic value and connects hundreds of river towns, making it one of the longest and most significant scenic byways in the United States.
Illinois is one of the ten states of the Great River Road and its piece of the route includes bluff-top views, river bank vistas, river towns, Indigenous American history and heritage, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, boating, and over 65 parks. As Illinois’ Clean Cities & Communities coalition, IACT will address the unique needs of Illinois while coordinating resources across the ten included states.
The Great River Road Collaboration project will fund Clean Cities & Communities coalitions and a community-based organization in each of the ten participating states to assess gaps in charging and fueling infrastructure along the Great River Road and Mississippi River port communities. It includes developing a ten-state alternative fuel corridor plan, state-specific community engagement strategies, and providing technical assistance on funding opportunities for local and regional clean vehicle projects. Additionally, the project will collaborate with tourism representatives to promote clean transportation resources along the corridor. This joint effort will boost clean fuel adoption, support economic growth through tourism, lower transportation costs, reduce emissions, and ensure that disadvantaged communities benefit from these new investments and emission reductions.
The Great River Road Collaboration project is organized into three budget periods that began in April 2024 and will end in March 2027. Since its start and into next year, the project has focused on regional coordination, infrastructure planning, community engagement, and promotion of clean travel along the Great River Road and Mississippi Riverway. Following this initial period, the project emphasizes collaboration, funding support, public engagement, and clean transportation promotion along the Great River Road and Mississippi Riverway. Finally, in the last budget period, the project will focus on sustained promotion, technical support, community engagement completion, and dissemination of findings to promote clean fuel use along the Great River Road and Mississippi Riverway.
Learn more about the Great River Road by visiting the website or seeing what Illinois’ section has to offer.