When will Frank Scott Parkway work end? Not soon

Work is ongoing on a $6.57 million project along Frank Scott Parkway East as intersections are being widened at Old Collinsville Road, Hartman Lane and North Green Mount Road.

Through lanes and turn lanes are being added at the intersections, said Jim Fields, St. Clair County engineer, who heads up the county highway department.

DMS Construction is carrying out the $6.57 million project, which includes some federal dollars.

The project is meant to help ease traffic congestion, and eventually set up an eventual widening of Frank Scott Parkway from Illinois 159 to North Green Mount Road, Fields said.

Currently the contractor is concentrating on the Old Collinsville Road and Hartman Lane intersections, Fields said.

As part of the contract, DMS Construction cannot work at the North Green Mount Road intersection between Oct. 15 and Dec. 31, Fields said.

“This department anticipates that the contractor will focus his attention on the first two intersections for the remainder of this year and the beginning of 2017,” Fields wrote in an email to the BND.

Work at the North Green Mount intersection is expected to begin after the first of the new year, and is scheduled to be completed by October 2017.

Fields said workers flagging traffic will be on the road from time to time.

Frank Scott Parkway “will never be closed to through traffic,” Fields added.

Hartman Lane and Old Collinsville Road already have temporary traffic signals in place, which can cause delays during peak times, Fields said.

The intersection-widening project has been long awaited. It was delayed over eminent domain proceedings for a parcel of land along Old Collinsville Road. The property owner was eventually awarded nearly $40,000 for the piece of land.

Shiloh Mayor Jim Vernier said there is work ongoing to eventually extend Frank Scott Parkway from Cross Street to Illinois 158 near Scott Air Force Base, which will be helpful to those commuting to and from the base.

He added the current intersection improvements and the future widening of Frank Scott Parkway are highly anticipated.

“I’m looking forward to when they’re finished,” Vernier said. “These intersection improvements will be fabulous and will cut back on the backups we get.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 12:13 PM with the headline "When will Frank Scott Parkway work end? Not soon."