Hitting the road? Where to look out for construction, road closures in the metro-east
While spring and summer are the most popular times for construction in Belleville, southwestern Illinois still has several fall road projects in the works.
The St. Clair County Board recently signed a $13.8 million spending agreement, including federal, state and local money, for a project to extend Frank Scott Parkway East to Scott Air Force Base. The county board hopes to choose a contractor by the end of the year, the BND previously reported.
Belleville’s Public Works Department has one project slated for this fall, city engineer Scott Saeger wrote in a recent email to the BND. It will involve installing concrete patches in concrete streets, most of which will occur in the Orchards subdivision.
The department is also finalizing plans for an asphalt resurfacing project in downtown Belleville for portions of West and East Main streets from West A to North Oak and portions of West A Street from North 3rd to North Illinois Street, Saeger said.
Additionally, North 1st and North 3rd streets from West Main to A Street will also be resurfaced. Accessible sidewalk ramps will be installed as needed with the repaving. The downtown resurfacing project is expected to go out for bidding this fall, with construction planned for the spring.
“One of the challenges with this project is working when there are no downtown special events planned,” Saeger said.
Autumn brings several large events to downtown Belleville, including the chili cook-off, PrideFest, trick or treating and more.
When navigating areas that are under construction, you may want to keep in mind Illinois state law requires drivers to follow posted construction zone speed limits regardless of whether workers are present.
Here’s what to know about major road projects in southwestern Illinois this fall and beyond.
Construction in the metro-east
The Illinois Department of Transportation released a statement May 2 about 20 major road projects in the metro-east, with estimated completion dates between 2024 and 2028. The BND checked in with IDOT to see which have been completed, delayed or still in progress.
Plans have not yet been confirmed for three of the 20 projects, IDOT Region 5 spokesperson Dawn Johnson said in a recent interview with the BND:
Illinois 162/157 at Judy’s Branch Creek will include intersection relocation from the north junction of Illinois 157 to the south junction of Illinois 157. The project was scheduled to begin construction this summer and be completed in summer 2028 and will involve road closures and signed detours.
Illinois 3 at West Delmar Avenue and Pierce Lane will include intersection reconstruction. The project is scheduled to begin in summer 2025 and be completed in fall 2026. Drivers can expect intermittent lane closures, but two-way traffic will be maintained.
Interstate 64 from west of Greenmount to 1.1 miles west of Illinois 158 which includes widening, resurfacing, interchange improvements and bridge repairs. The project is anticipated to begin this fall and be completed in fall 2026, according to IDOT, and drivers can expect intermittent lane closures.
Six of the 20 projects have been completed so far, including:
Illinois 159 from Center Grove Road to West Country Lane, which included resurfacing and accessibility improvements.
Illinois 157 from St. Louis Street to South University Drive in Edwardsville, which included resurfacing, accessibility improvements and intersection improvements.
Illinois 267 from 0.4 miles south of Short Road to Jersey County Line, which included resurfacing and accessibility improvements.
Illinois 111 south of Pontoon Road to just south of Horseshoe Lake Road in Granite City, which included resurfacing and accessibility improvements.
Illinois 3 over Nine Mile Creek: bridge replacement.
Illinois 161 from Beech Street to Pleasant Avenue in Centralia, which included patching, resurfacing and accessibility improvements.
One project is nearing completion, Johnson said, which is resurfacing work at Collinsville Road/Ninth Street from Rose Lake Drive in East St. Louis to east of Exchange Avenue.
Four projects have revised completion dates:
Illinois 111 southbound over Cahokia Canal just north of I-55/70 bridge replacement is now expected to be completed in late summer 2025.
Southern Illinois University northern access road over the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge replacement is now expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Illinois 13/153 from Illinois 4 to Perry County Line resurfacing and accessibility improvements are now expected to be completed by spring 2025.
Little Mary’s River Covered Bridge repairs are now expected to be completed by summer 2025, rather than winter 2025.
The remaining six projects are moving along on schedule:
“Air Mobility Drive Extension from Illinois 161 to Illinois 158/177 includes new construction,” the May IDOT press release said. “The project is anticipated to begin in spring 2024 and be completed in summer 2026. Traffic impacts are not expected.”
“I-57 from Jefferson County Line to just north of Illinois 161 includes pavement reconstruction and bridge repair. The project began in summer 2022 and is anticipated to be completed in winter 2024. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained,” according to the agency.
“Interstate 270 over Mississippi River bridge replacement. The project began in fall 2022 and is anticipated to be completed in summer 2027,” IDOT said. “Expect nighttime lane closures. Two lanes of traffic in each direction will be maintained.”
“Beltline Road from Illinois 157 to Illinois 159 in Collinsville includes resurfacing and [Americans with Disabilities Act] improvements. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in fall 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained,” per IDOT.
“Illinois 3 and Illinois 157 intersection improvements. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in fall 2024,” the agency reports. “Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.”
“I-255 from 0.2 miles north of Illinois 157 to Illinois 15 includes resurfacing and bridge and ramp repairs. The project is anticipated to begin in fall 2024 and be completed in summer 2025. Closure with signed detours,” IDOT says.
Driving safety tips
Infrastructure, such as road diets, bike lanes, separate bike and pedestrian trails, traffic calming measures and more play an important role in road safety, but there are also steps drivers can take to mitigate risks.
Here are some best practices to follow for safe driving, from the state’s transportation agency:
Avoid distracted driving.
Do not drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Wear a seatbelt, and make sure your child is in an appropriate car seat.
Avoid aggressive driving, such as speeding, running red lights or stop signs, tailgating, cutting off another vehicle, yelling or repeatedly honking your horn.
Slow down and move over for police and other emergency vehicles.
Follow school zone speed limits and stop for school buses that are loading or unloading.
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