QUINCY - Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Illinois' ongoing battle with flooding increases the need for a statewide construction plan during a visit here Wednesday.

"What we're learning here from the flooding could very well have an impact on the capital bill," Blagojevich said. "The jobs bill is very relevant to this so we can provide resources to those affected by the flooding."

Blagojevich spoke before volunteer workers and members of the National Guard who had spent the day filling sandbags to shore up the levees along the Mississippi River.

Blagojevich called the struggle in Quincy "biblical" and praised the efforts of volunteer workers. The governor said federal disaster assistance funding is likely to be granted.

"Every time we've asked President Bush for federal disaster relief … they've always complied," Blagojevich said. "I have no reason to think they'll do anything but what they've done in the past."

The construction plan was blocked in the House on May 31 over objections about expanding gambling and selling the lottery to pay for the new roads, schools and bridges.

There has been no indication that the stalemate in Springfield has changed. But, Blagojevich said he would do what was necessary to secure construction funding.

"If this was a benevolent dictatorship (Quincy Mayor John Spring) would have all the money he needs. But, if we need the legislature to come through to provide the money, I'm going to do everything I can to push and prod them so they do the right thing for communities like Quincy," Blagojevich said.

The governor said the state budget passed by the General Assembly earlier this summer is in deficit and unconstitutional, but flooding problems are pressing.

During an aerial tour of the flooding, Blagojevich told the Associated Press, "I've never seen that kind of flooding before."

The governor sat riveted to a helicopter window during an aerial tour of areas north and south of Quincy.

He added an ominous note, saying, "It's going to get worse." In anticipation that flooding will hit communities down the river in days to come, Blagojevich also announced Wednesday that a separate Illinois Emergency Management command center will be set up in Alton, in the Metro East area.

Blagojevich on Wednesday also checked out breached levees near Meyer and the Indian Graves system. At both breaches, the grayish brown water poured in and spilled out across the land - dipping in places like a waterfall.

There was so much water that, from the air, it was hard for an Associated Press reporter on board the helicopter with the governor to tell where the river was supposed to be and where it ran free. Roofs and treetops poked up from the muddy water - the only hints that the areas were once dry land.

After visiting the sandbagging site, Blagojevich traveled to see the nearby Sny Levee, which stretches more than 50 miles from Adams County south of Quincy, through Pike County and into northern Calhoun County.

Illinois National Guard soldiers made a makeshift bridge of sandbags so the governor, dressed in jeans and black polo shirt, could cross a muddy area to climb atop a part of the levee they had reinforced.

Illinois Army National Guard Lt. Jennifer Pinta said she was confident they'd done enough to keep the water back. But she hastened to add they're up against forces they can't control.

"What else can we do?" she said.

Illinois State Police blocked access into Meyer. Officials expected the floodwaters to overtake 30,000 acres near the levee break there, said Julie Shepard, spokeswoman for Adams County's emergency management system.

Kenneth Lowe can be reached at kenneth.lowe@lee.net or 789-0865. Kartikay Mehrotra can be reached at kartikay.mehrotra@lee.net or 789-0865. The Associated Press contributed to this report.