Lighting project will cause lane closures on metro-east interstate until summer 2026
Metro-east commuters will have another hurdle to clear as the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Friday that weekend lane closures on Interstate 55/64/70 in East St. Louis will be enforced beginning Saturday to make way for an $8.85 million project to install LED street lights.
The lighting project is expected to last until summer 2026.
Existing light poles will either be replaced or upgraded on a stretch of highway from the Mississippi River to east of the “tri-level” interchange of Interstate 70, Interstate 55-70 and Interstate 64, according to a state transportation news release.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, the closures will be on the eastbound lanes.
The weekend closures will start at 5 a.m. on Saturdays and end at 5 p.m. on Sundays and will affect both eastbound and westbound directions of I-55/64/70 over the course of the project.
“Modernized LED streetlights” will be installed, according to IDOT.
“Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes,” the news release states. “Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone.”
Gerstner Electric Inc. of Fenton, Missouri, is the contractor for the light improvement project.
Since Feb. 1, metro-east commuters have not been able to use Interstate 255 in St. Clair County from Illinois 15 to Illinois 157 because the state closed that section for a $65.4 million resurfacing project. That work is expected to be finished in July.
Also, for MetroLink commuters, the MetroLink Blue Line has not been operating in Illinois since last month as Metro investigates a “small area of the tracks” for “potential ground instability.” This schedule change will “remain in effect until further notice,” according to a news release from the agency.
Highway lighting project called ‘long overdue’
Jim Hettler of Belleville said he has lobbied state and county leaders for four years to improve the lighting on I-55/64/70 in the East St. Louis area.
“It’s long overdue and we desperately need it,” said Hettler, who is a retired Air Force officer and home builder in the metro-east.
“When you drive into St. Louis, it’s like a Christmas tree. It’s all lit up,” he said. “But when you drive into the East St. Louis area, it’s pitch black. It’s dark and it’s dangerous.
“This is the gateway to Illinois and it’s been an absolute embarrassment the entire time that I have lived there.”
Hettler said he has spoken to local Illinois Department of Transportation officials and that he wrote a letter to Gov. JB Pritzker.
The approach to the Poplar Street Bridge in Illinois has an annual average daily total traffic of 117,700 vehicles as of 2023, according to IDOT record. That equates about 43 million vehicles a year.
Along with the lighting issue that he described as troublesome for over 20 years, Hettler has raised concerns about the condition of road surface, trash and broken vehicle parts along the highway as well as graffiti.
Hettler said along with the public safety concerns, the lack of maintenance of the interstate affects the local economy.
“From an economic standpoint, the way that that area looks hinders people from wanting to move to the metro-east,” he said. “If you clean it up and make it presentable and it looks like it’s safe, we get more people moving over to the metro-east.”
Hettler said state officials “have a responsibility to redouble their efforts and dedicate whatever resources are necessary to make sure that we have a safe, clean environment and one that we’re not embarrassed of.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM.
