Multiple IDOT Projects Scheduled In Will County Area

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that multiple improvement projects in the Will County area are scheduled to get underway beginning this spring. The seven projects represent a total investment of more than $ 140 million for the region, with $75 million coming from Gov. JB Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program.

“With the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, we are restoring and transforming Illinois’s aging infrastructure,” said Gov. Pritzker. “Rebuild Illinois is not only about investing in infrastructure but about investing in people and communities as well. In the coming months, IDOT will undertake projects that will ultimately create safer roads and bridges and provide jobs in the Will County area and across the entire state.”

Projects include:

• 1-55 from Interstate 80 to U.S. 52 (Jefferson Street)The project will convert the existing interchange into a diverging diamond interchange and add auxiliary lanes along both sides of 1-55. Three lanes of 1-55 in both directions will be maintained throughout construction, with one lane in each direct on local routes. The project is scheduled to begin in fall 2021 and completed fall 2023.
• 1-55 at Illinois 59

A new bridge will be constructed as part of advance work for a new diverging diamond interchange. Three lanes of 1-55 in both directions will be maintained throughout construction. Work is scheduled to begin in spring 2021 and completed fall 2021.

• 1-55 from north of River Road to north of the I&M CanalResurfacing project, with rumble strips installed on shoulders. Overnight lane closures will be required, with multiple weekend lane closures anticipated. The project is scheduled to begin in spring 2021 and completed fall 2021.
• Rehabilitation of three bridges that carry 1-55 over U.S. 30, Canadian National Railroad and Mink Creek. Two lanes of 1-55 will be maintained between the bridges throughout construction. Overnight lane closures are anticipated. The project is scheduled to begin in spring 2021 and completed fall 2021.
• 1-55 at Illinois 53 and 1-55 at Joliet RoadBoth structures will be re-decked and widened. Three lanes of 1-55 in both directions will be maintained throughout construction and overnight lane closures are anticipated. The project is scheduled to begin in spring 2021 and completed fall 2021.
• 1-80 from Gardner Street to Rowell Avenue (eastbound) and Richard Street (westbound)Pavement reconstruction, widening, replacing or rehabilitating the eastbound 1-80 bridges over Hickory Creek, Richards Street and Canadian National Railroad/Rowell Avenue and westbound Richards Street. Two lanes of 1-80 in both directions will be maintained through construction. The eastbound 1-80 ramp to Richard Street will close during the second stage of construction. The overall project is scheduled to begin in spring 2021 and completed fall 2022.
• Illinois 1 from Burrville Road to just north of Illinois 394 and Illinois 394 from Illinois 1 to County Line Road

Resurfacing project, with new ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps and culvert replacement between Elmscourt Street and New Monee Road. Daily lane closures will be necessary to complete the project, which is scheduled to begin in spring 2021 and completed fall 2021.

These projects are in addition to ongoing interchange reconstructions and capacity improvements at U.S. 30 and 1-80 and Webber Road and 1-55.

“These projects represent a significant investment in the Will County area and are a big step forward in our work to improve safety, mobility and create economic opportunity for years to come,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “We’re asking drivers to be patient, slow down and pay extra attention driving in and around any work zone.”

In addition to improving roads and bridges, Rebuild Illinois identifies in the Chicago area $400 million for the CREATE program, $500 million to establish passenger rail to the Quad Cities and Rockford, and $4 billion for the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace.

Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing $33.2 billion into the state’s aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. Rebuild Illinois is not only the largest capital program in state history but also the first one that touches all modes of Illinois transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

For more information on IDOT projects, click here. Find traffic and road conditions at www.gettingaroundillinois.com. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook and Twitter.

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