IDOT planning $36 million upgrade to I-64 to boost development in St. Clair County
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced plans to widen Interstate-64 to three lanes along a nearly three-mile stretch through O’Fallon and Shiloh.
The upgrades to I-64 will be made from a stretch that begins two-thirds of a mile west of Green Mount Road to a half mile west of Illinois 158. It will include the additional lanes, plus wider shoulders, interchange improvements and bridge work, according to an IDOT release.
The project is included in IDOT’s proposed five-year highway improvement program for 2022-2027. The cost for additional lanes and bridge repairs is $35.6 million, said Dawn Johnson, a spokesperson for IDOT’s Region 5.
The centerpiece of the proposed work will center around the interchange at Green Mount Road, where the volume of traffic has steadily increased around multiple retail developments and construction of the new HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
Commercial development in that area has spurred a 40% increase in traffic volume, according to an IDOT study. An additional 14% growth in traffic to 72,800 vehicles per day is expected by the year 2038, it concluded.
The stretch of four-lane highway already is over its capacity, which causes traffic backups at the Green Mount Road interchange, according to IDOT.
O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach said he isn’t completely familiar project beyond the IDOT’s plans to add lanes to I-64. He said city officials plan to hold a meeting about the project next week.
IDOT Improvement Project
The Interstate-64 Improvement Project is being processed in three phases, each taking about 24 months to complete.
The project is currently in a preliminary engineering phase. According to its website, IDOT will award contracts and acquire the necessary right-of-way beginning in 2023. Construction would be completed by 2027.
Temporary lane closures during “off-peak” hours may be necessary, Johnson said, but the goal is to keep four lanes open during construction.
According to a release from IDOT, the project will include:
- Widening of I-64 to three lanes in each direction with wider shoulders.
- Construction of a concrete median barrier between the eastbound and westbound lanes.
- Increasing the clearance under the Green Mount Road and Lincoln Avenue bridges to accommodate larger trucks.
- Widening the eastbound and westbound exit ramps to provide two left and two right turn lanes at the intersection with Green Mount Road.
- Widening Green Mount Road to provide a southbound right turn lane at the I-64 on-ramp, northbound right turn lane at the I-64 on-ramp, and two southbound left turn lanes, two southbound through lanes, and two southbound right turn lanes at the intersection of Green Mount Crossing and Central Park Drive.
Public input sought
IDOT is holding a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.
The meeting will start with a live presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session. Questions can be submitted online during the meeting.
Advance registration is required to attend the meeting. Those who register at https://projectmeetingonline.com/I-64/ will receive an email with a link to virtual meeting.
Development on I-64
Interstate-64 was built in 1975 to accommodate new development and the resulting traffic in Fairview Heights and Scott Air Force Base.
The interchange at Green Mount Road interchange was added in 2000 when O’Fallon created new highway frontage on Central Park Drive with incentives for retail investment and auto dealerships. Shiloh soon after lured Target and a Dierbergs grocery store as anchors to the Green Mount Crossing shopping center.
Interstate 64 from Illinois 157 to Green Mount Road was widened from four lanes to six lanes and a new interchange was constructed at Reider Road in 2014 to improve access to Scott Air Force Base.
In September of this year, Boeing announced it will construct a new 300-square-foot production facility at MidAmerica Airport that will be used to make the U.S. Navy’s first aircraft-refueling drones. The project will bring 500 new jobs to the metro-east, according to company and St. Clair County officials.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 12:06 PM.
