Environmental Group Sues To Block Illiana Expressway

(CBS) -- When a starter herd of Bison comes to the Chicago area, it'll have a real home on the range to come home to, reports WBBM's John Cody.

The first 20 out of 108 bison expected on the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie southwest of Chicago should show up in November, according to Paul Botts of the Wetlands Initiative.

"The only reason we are going to have those bison is because the last five years of restoration at Midewin has been succeeding and restoration work of a prairie includes bison," Botts said.

Environmentalists have sued to stop the scheduled Illiana Expressway, which will bring additional truck traffic down Route 53, disrupting life for the burgeoning bison herd and possibly driving away endangered species of bats fish and salamanders.

Expressway supporters say all required environmental concerns have been addressed and the project will speed up transit and provide millions in needed jobs on the toll highway between I-55 and I-65.