SPRINGFIELD - With Gov. Pat Quinn's signature Friday on an $8.3 billion spending plan for road and bridge construction, state officials now start the hunt for $20 billion more. | U.S. 51 in line for resurfacing

Lawmakers left Springfield Friday for their annual two-week spring break, having met Quinn's deadline to approve a bevy of projects in time for the summer construction season.

When they return to Springfield later in April, they'll face the state's budget deficit and efforts to do a bigger public works program, one that will pay for improvements at schools and universities in addition to roads and bridges.

"This is a significant beginning," AFL-CIO leader and Decatur Mayor Michael Carrigan said at a news conference Friday. "I repeat: Beginning."

The rest of it could be a little more difficult to come by, though. Quinn wants to raise vehicles feels and the income tax to pay for it. Others, including state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, want to raise the gasoline tax by 8 cents per gallon.

"That'll be more difficult, but I'm still hoping you'll see the same kind of cooperation you did yesterday," Bradley said, referring to lawmakers' approval of the smaller-scale program late Thursday.

Quinn and top lawmakers tried to emphasize the newfound cooperation, implying it became possible with the removal of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"It was really a team effort," Quinn said. "And that's what we can do in Illinois if we work together."

Projects on the list

Among the projects created by that "team effort" is the $3.5 million resurfacing of the eastbound lanes of Illinois 13 between Murphysboro and Carbondale.

Roads across the state are lined up for the same resurfacing treatment, including U.S. 51 through Bloomington-Normal. Repairs would be made to Interstate 74 in the Quad Cities, and $3 million will be spent resurfacing three miles of Illinois 105 in Decatur.

The bigger program lawmakers will work for by the end of May could mean university projects, including rehabbing the Center for the Visual Arts at Illinois State University and the development of a Western Illinois University campus in the Quad Cities.

Two dozen school districts promised money by Blagojevich several years ago would get paid, too.

The legislation signed by Quinn Friday is House Bill 210.