Interstate 255 closed from Collinsville to I-64. How’s commuter traffic today?
The closure of “one of Illinois’ worst” roads technically began at midnight Saturday morning.
But the disruptions that will be caused by shutting down all lanes of a nearly 4-mile stretch of Interstate-255 won’t be known until the rush-hour traffic clears Monday morning.
All lanes both north-and southbound are closed from Exit 20 at I-64 in Caseyville, just west of Fairview Heights, to Exit 25 at Collinsville Road. The Illinois Department of Transportation has been warning morning commuters to seek alternate routes in advance.
So far, the disruptions have been minimal.
As of 6:45 a.m., traffic was bunching up mostly along interchanges with state highways.
Traffic on Illinois-157 was moving at the speed limit south through Collinsville, but slowed slightly in Caseyville and at Bunkum Road, though it was moving again in both directions at the I-64 interchange.
By 8 a.m., traffic on IL-157 was slowed significantly in both directions through Caseyville and onto Caseyville Road and South Morrison in Collinsville. Some of that, however, can be owed to the start of classes at Collinsville High School.
Traffic on IL-111 was flowing without disruption from I-270 to I-64.
Interstate-64 westbound is slow at the I-255 interchange and at the I-55/64 merger in East St. Louis, as is normal.
In Fairview Heights, IL-159 southbound began backing up north of the I-64 interchange at about 7 a.m. but cleared quickly.
Some back roads are taking on extra traffic, however.
Hollywood Heights Road at the county line in Caseyville is backed up west bound as it approaches IL-159.
Here are five things you should know if you use I-255 regularly:
WHAT’S BEING FIXED AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
The repairs include resurfacing seven miles of I-255 with asphalt from Collinsville Road to Illinois 15 in addition to “significant bridge repairs,” safety improvements and draining upgrades.
The I-255 renovation project begins Saturday, Feb. 1, in the early morning, and will take place in two phases separated by Interstate 64.
The first 5-month phase will cover a 4-mile stretch from I-64 to Collinsville Road. The first phase is planned to wrap up by July. The second phase on the southern portion will stretch from I-64 to Illinois 15. Work on the second phase is planned to begin once the first phase is complete.
The entire project is expected to wrap up Nov. 24.
WHY CLOSE ALL LANES?
Lora Rensing, IDOT District 8 project implementation engineer, said a full closure is not only saving the state roughly $14 million, but will cut a large chunk off the project’s expected timetable. If the project were done in phases with only partial lane closures, it could take almost four years to complete, Rensing said.
“We looked at a lot of options for this closure and what we determined is closing one section at a time is just not feasible,” she said. “Closing two sections in both directions is our best option.”
The full closure also is to ensure the safety of workers and drivers, Rensing added.
“We explored several different options,” said IDOT engineer Joel Cumby said. “A full closure is the safest, the best and the fastest. It’s safest for the motorists and safest for the workers. It’s the best because in the end the taxpayers end up with a better product.”
WHAT’S IT COST AND WHO’S PAYING?
The work on I-255 is expected to cost about $64 million. Illinois Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Paul Wappel said that’s roughly $14 million less than it would cost if it were completed piecemeal over an estimated four years.
Rensing added that the contractors on the project have major incentives to finish on time, if not early. She said for every day, up to 20 days, the project is completed early contractors can earn $50,000. For every day the project runs late, however, contractors will have to pay the state $50,000.
Funding comes from Illinois’ bi-partisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan aimed to repair large swaths of infrastructure in the state.
The funding for the program comes from the state’s gambling expansion, increased fees at the driver’s services office, doubling of the gas tax and a higher tax on tobacco.
WHAT ARE THE BEST ALTERNATIVE ROUTES?
IDOT officials are recommending drivers use Illinois 3, 15, 157, 158, 159 and 161 as alternate routes during the first phase of construction.
Illinois Department of Transportation officials are recommending that drivers prepare before the project begins by plotting out the best possible route for their day-to-day travel. Cumby said Illinois 157 will most likely see the biggest increase in traffic and cautioned drivers to prepare for that possibility.
IDOT is also working with area truckers, rerouting any truck traffic out of the area as another safety measure.
It will be monitoring the alternative routes as time goes on with the help of drones and Illinois State Police. That information could lead to adjustments to the alternate routes, Cumby said.
“We’ll be providing media updates to let everyone know which routes are being overused and which routes are maybe being underutilized can could take more capacity,” he said.
Cumby added that there has been a large amount of preemptive work on all of the alternate routes ahead of the I-255 closure.
STAY TUNED
For more information on the project, visit http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/i-255-resurface-project
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Interstate 255 closed from Collinsville to I-64. How’s commuter traffic today?."
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