O’Fallon to use grant funding to study traffic flow, future plans for U.S. Highway 50

The future development of U.S. 50 has been a concern for city officials as O’Fallon continues to grow.

And now, the city’s been awarded a $500,000 grant to study traffic flow and how to effectively serve users — whether on foot, bike, car, or bus.

The city’s Community Development Department — with assistance from the Public Works Department — took the lead. Part of the city’s 2040 Master Plan was addressing walking and biking paths.

“Multi-purpose paths were one of the most important items that residents wanted,” Mayor Herb Roach said. “This is the largest grant (non-road construction) that the city has ever received.”

The grant — from the East-West Gateway Council of Governments — is part of the St. Louis Great Streets Initiative launched in early 2006 to expand the way communities think of their streets.

“Rather than viewing a roadway project as solely a way to move more cars and trucks faster, the goal of the St. Louis Great Streets Initiative is to trigger economic and social benefits by centering communities around interesting, lively, and attractive streets that serve all modes of transportation,” the website stated. “This initiative seeks to empower communities to consider their full potential for creating thriving iconic places.”

The applications for new planning projects in the Illinois portion of the region — from Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties — was due by Sept. 2.

The project is expected to begin in the spring of 2023 and conclude in early 2024. It will include a multi-disciplinary team seeking community engagement and ultimately deciding on best planning practices. The local match required was 20% — or $100,000.

O’Fallon will collaborate with East-West Gateway and at the conclusion, receive a detailed plan with implementation measures for the city to champion.

Created in 1926, U.S. Highway 50 is a major east-west route that stretches 3,073 miles from Interstate 80 in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 in Ocean City. It generally serves a corridor south of I-70 and I-80 and north of I-64 and I-40.

That work isn’t the only project through the East-West Gateway.

The city is applying for two Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grants — one for the Simmons Road Bridge Replacement and the other for the asphalt overlay of State Street and Old Vincennes between Smiley and Scott-Troy Road.

Public Works Director Jeff Taylor said both projects are scheduled for construction next summer.

He said the ITEP grants will not be awarded until Spring 2023.

The trail resurfacing project will also use $300,000 in Rebuild Illinois funds through the Illinois Department of Transportation for the East State Street/Old Vincennes Trail resurfacing.

The trail along Ogles Creek will provide pedestrian and bicycle connectivity from the Reserves of Timber Ridge to Milburn School Road.

The cost of the project is estimated around $1.1 million, but the grant would reduce the cost by 80% ($767,200).

The Simmons Road Bridge replacement project will use $458,500 of Rebuild Illinois funds through IDOT.

Additional project information in O’Fallon

Also slated for next summer is dual left turn lanes to relieve congestion at Central Park Drive and a sidewalk to be constructed. The federal portion is $801,200 and the local is $598,544 for a total estimated project cost of $1,540,381.

One summer project that is now completed is the patching and resurfacing of U.S. 50 in O’Fallon between Anne Avenue and North Main Street that IDOT began in June.

Taylor said more information on federally funded projects can be found in the East West Gateway Transportation Improvement Plan: https://www.ewgateway.org/transportation-planning/transportation-improvement-program.