The Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation broke ground on a joint venture to build a new training facility Wednesday focused on traffic incident safety for officers, first responders and highway workers.
The $14 million project is being built at ISP’s Pawnee-based extension of the agency’s training academy.
According to ISP Director Brendan Kelly, the new training facility will allow for law enforcement and first responders to train in a controlled environment that closely resembles real-world conditions.
Kelly noted there have been multiple ISP troopers that have been killed in the line of duty as a result of unsafe road conditions and distracted drivers in recent years.
He said the project is a result of those deaths, alongside the many deaths of highway maintenance and construction crews that have taken place.
Different agencies across the state will be welcomed to use the new road training track upon completion. Among the track’s features are a mock bridge, highway ramp, rail crossing, medians and multiple different road pavement types, among others.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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