The project upgrades will be accomplished in a partnership with the Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT). | Pixabay
The project upgrades will be accomplished in a partnership with the Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT). | Pixabay
Illinois State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) announced three major road projects costing $8.6 million designed to improve transit in the communities of Coal City, Bourbonnais and Park Forest.
The project upgrades will be accomplished in a partnership with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and are the first part of a major push statewide to bring Illinois roads up to date.
“These local infrastructure investments come at a critical time for our communities and will help build a brighter future through a transportation network that serves all Illinoisans,” Joyce said on a Facebook post. “By improving road conditions for drivers, we are creating new jobs and giving our community a much-needed economic boost."
Joyce represents District 40, which includes the towns of Braidwood, Chicago Heights, Joliet, Kankakee and Wilmington.
The IDOT improvements include upgrades of 1.6 miles of road on Illinois route 113 on Lincoln Street to the Will County line at a cost of $1.2 million. The second upgrade will reconstruct 8.14 miles of road on Illinois Route 102 from the Will County line to U.S. 45/52 in Bourbonnais at a cost of $5 million. A third component will improve 2.53 miles of road on Western Avenue from U.S. 30 at the Lincoln Highway to Steger Road in Park Forest. That portion will cost an estimated $2.4 million.
On his website, Joyce said the upgrades are part of an IDOT multi-year plan through a program titled “Rebuild Illinois.” The plan will allocate $20.7 billion over the next six years to make road improvements in Illinois. Of that total, $3.7 billion will be earmarked for projects set to begin in the coming year.
“Rebuild Illinois shows our state’s commitment to improving our state’s aging infrastructure,” Joyce said on the website. “We have a responsibility to repair and maintain our local infrastructure so that residents and visitors can safely access our roads and bridges.”
Rebuild Illinois was passed by the Legislature in 2019 to update the state’s aging infrastructure.
For a full list of projects planned, go to the IDOT website at idot.illinois.gov.
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