Belleville road will be moved to make way for new Belle-Clair Speedway
St. Clair County plans to move a portion of South Church Street in Belleville to make way for the new Belle-Clair Speedway racetrack.
The track remains under construction in its new location in the southeast corner of the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds. It is expected to open for its first auto races during the upcoming County Fair scheduled for July 30-Aug. 1 at the fairgrounds, 200 S. Belt East in Belleville.
The St. Clair County Board voted at its March 30 meeting to allocate funding for the road relocation project.
Board members approved spending at least $272,000, plus any additional funding that might be needed to complete the project. The money will come from the county highway special projects fund, according to the County Board resolution.
County Engineer Norm Etling said the portion of South Church Street south of South Belt East will move east to go around the new track. The road will initially be made of rock to reopen by July in time for the County Fair, Etling said.
Residential traffic is not expected to be affected by the relocation project. The affected portion of the road leads to Belleville’s water treatment plant, and the county’s Public Building Commission purchased all private properties in that area for $2.1 million.
The commission manages county-owned properties, including the fairgrounds, courthouse and MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.
The total cost of the racetrack project is $13.9 million. County Buildings Director Jim Brede said earlier this year that funding will come from Public Building Commission reserves, with at least $5 million expected to be reimbursed through a state grant.
The St. Clair County Board also allocated $15.2 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for improvements to the fairgrounds, including a new roof, HVAC system and other upgrades to the expo center.
Previously, the county used COVID relief funds to buy the property from private ownership and demolish the old racetrack for $2.3 million and $85,000, respectively.
Counties have until the end of 2026 to spend their COVID money.
Three County Board members were absent from the March 30 meeting: Democrats Jerry Dinges of District 15, Scott Tieman of District 17 and Richie Meile of District 25.
