Tuesday’s commute could reveal the real impact of the partial closure of I-255
Commuters forced by the partial closure of Interstate 255 to seek alternate routes to work say that, despite a slight increase in traffic, their drive in was mostly routine.
With all lanes closed from Exit 20 at I-64 in Caseyville to Exit 25 at Collinsville Road, the Illinois Department of Transportation encouraged drivers to take alternate routes on Illinois 3, 15, 157, 158, 159 and 161.
IDOT Engineer Joel Cumby said the morning rush hour went smoothly, but attributed in part to it being the day after Super Bowl. He said Tuesday’s traffic might tell a more accurate story about what to expect over the next five months while the road is closed.
“Everything seemed to go fairly well,” he said. “Traffic seemed to be light.”
Cumby said IDOT is thankful to drivers who planned ahead and took alternate routes but is warning drivers to continue to consider alternate routes as construction continues.
“We’d like to encourage people to not become complacent too quickly,” he said.
Where were the backups?
At about 6:45 a.m. Monday, traffic was bunching up mostly at 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, is owed to the start of classes at Collinsville High School.
Traffic on IL-111 moved without disruption from I-270 to I-64.
Interstate-64 westbound slowed at the I-255 interchange and at the I-55/64 merger in East St. Louis, as is normal.
In Fairview Heights, IL-159 backed up occasionally north of the I-64 interchange throughout the morning but cleared quickly.
Some back roads took on extra traffic, however. Hollywood Heights Road at the county line in Caseyville backed up west bound as it approaches IL-159.
‘It was going smoothly’
Kala Bronson, who works at Krispy Kreme on Illinois 159 in Fairview Heights, got to work at 5:45 a.m. and said she noticed traffic was “mild to heavy,” with a few stop-and-go spots along the main streets.
“It’s been a little slow since it’s Monday,” she said of business at the doughnut shop.
IDOT trucks dotted IL-157 in Caseyville, monitoring the traffic.
Nate Taylor, who uses IL-157 on a daily basis to get to his job, said moving through the area was slower than usual.
“It’s certainly slower than usual, but nothing crazy,” he said. “It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.”
Laura Shearrer, who commutes from Pevely, Missouri, to Fairview Heights, noticed that traffic was actually worse for her last week on IL-159 as IDOT prepared barricades for the closure.
“There was a lot of traffic for no reason,” she said Monday. Her usual 45-minute commute took about an hour.
By 8:30 a.m., traffic on IL-159 in Fairview Heights had completely cleared, allowing Sonika Kapoor to get to her job at Huck’s gas station right on time.
“It was going smoothly,” she said. “It really goes smoother in the morning, it might get busier around lunchtime.”
The I-255 closure began at midnight on Saturday, Feb. 1, and will take place in two phases, separated by I-64.
The first 5-month phase will cover a 4-mile stretch from I-64 to Collinsville road and is expected to wrap up by July. The second phase on the southern portion will stretch from I-64 to Illinois 15 and is scheduled to begin whenever the first phase is over.
The entire project is expected to wrap up Nov. 24.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 12:17 PM.
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