For Immediate Release – December 22, 2020
Rebuilding Illinois: Multiple projects tackled in 2020
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that multiple projects in the Champaign-Urbana area are completed, underway or extending into future construction seasons, highlighting an ongoing commitment made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois. Just in the Champaign-Urbana area, seven major projects represent a total investment of more than $83 million for the region, with $73.5 coming from the historic and bipartisan capital program.
“Rebuild Illinois is not only about investing in infrastructure but about investing in people and communities as well. This first full year of Rebuild Illinois brought projects to the Champaign-Urbana area that created jobs and invested in the local economy in a way that was sorely needed,” said Gov. Pritzker. “The work completed this year is just the start of many more local improvements that will build better and safer roads and bridges, while keeping Central Illinois communities competitive and strengthening our state’s status as a transportation hub for the nation.”
Of the seven major projects in the Champaign-Urbana area, one was completed in 2020, five are scheduled to be completed in 2021 and one is to be completed in 2022. Two projects set the stage for the start late next summer of the Interstate 57/74 interchange reconstruction, a cornerstone of Rebuild Illinois that will remake a critical regional freight juncture that accomodates almost 40,000 vehicles a day.
- Interstate 72 from White Heath Road to Interstate 57 west of Champaign resurfacing, micro-surfacing, bridge deck overlay and guardrail work began in August and was completed in the fall.
• U.S. 150 from Wright Street to west of Cunningham Avenue resurfacing, signal modernization, ADA-compliant ramps, curb and gutter improvements, lighting and sidewalk upgrades began in March, with an anticipated completion date of fall 2021. A single-lane closure on U.S. 150 is necessary to complete the project.
• Interstate74 from High Cross Road to Union Pacific Railroad bridge deck overlays and repair work began in April, with anticipated completion in summer 2021. A single-lane closure on I-74 is necessary to complete the project.
• Mattis Avenue over I-57 and I-74 bridge replacement began in June and will continue next year, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2021. The new bridges will be built higher and longer to accommodate larger ramps as part of the I-57/74 interchange reconstruction. The two lanes over I-57 will be reduced to a single lane controlled by a temporary traffic signal. Over I-74, Mattis Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Single-lane closures and occasional overnight closures will be required.
• U.S. 150 over I-57 bridge replacement work began in July and will continue next year, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2021. The new bridge is an advance project to the I-57/74 interchange reconstruction. Single-lane closures on U.S. 150 with temporary traffic signals, single-lane and overnight closures on I-57 necessary to complete this project.
• I-74 over the Canadian National Railroad and Market Street bridge replacement began in August and will continue over the next two years with an anticipated completion date of fall 2022. All lanes will remain open during winter.
• Illinois 10 over Copper Slough west of Duncan Road bridge replacement will begin in May, with anticipated completion in the summer. Illinois 10 will be closed during construction. A detour will be posted.
“Our mission to keep this construction season on schedule has not wavered, despite the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19,” said Acting Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “We completed several major Champaign-Urbana area projects this year and are on track to finish others in 2021 and 2022, which will improve safety, quality of life and create economic opportunity for many years to come.”
Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing $33.2 billion into the state’s aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. Rebuild Illinois is not only the largest capital program in state history but also the first one that touches all modes of Illinois transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
As part of the new FY2021-26 Proposed Highway Improvement Program released in July, IDOT is investing $21.3 billion to improve roads and bridges over the next six years, the second multi-year plan that reflects the impact of Rebuild Illinois.
For news on these and other projects in IDOT’s District 5, follow @IDOTDistrict5 on Twitter or sign up to receive email alerts from IDOT in Motion. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook.
Comments