Rebuilding Metro East: Interstate Projects Highlight Another Historic Construction Season

COLLINSVILLE – Entering one of its busiest construction seasons ever, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that major projects in the Metro East are planned or underway, fueled by Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. Twenty major projects combined represent a total investment of nearly $825 million, improving safety and mobility while sustaining and creating good-paying jobs throughout the region.

“Rebuild Illinois is revitalizing communities and neighborhoods by investing in projects and people in the Metro East area and throughout the state,” said Gov. Pritzker. “Through the largest capital program in state history, IDOT will be delivering improvements to build a more resilient, accessible and equitable system of transportation for generations to come, while creating jobs and enhancing local quality of life.”

Of the 20 major projects in the Metro East, 11 are scheduled to be completed in 2024 and the remaining nine are anticipated to be completed from 2025 through 2028.

• Interstate 270 over Mississippi River bridge replacement. The project began in fall 2022 and is anticipated to be completed in summer 2027. Expect nighttime lane closures. Two lanes of traffic in each direction will be maintained.
• Illinois 159 from Center Grove Road to West Country Lane includes resurfacing and ADA improvements. The project began in spring 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in fall 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 157 from St. Louis Street to South University Drive in Edwardsville includes resurfacing and ADA improvements, as well as intersection improvements. The project began in summer 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in summer 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 267 from 0.4 miles south of Short Road to Jersey County Line includes resurfacing and ADA improvements. The project began in summer 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in fall 2024. One lane of traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 111 south of Pontoon Road to just south of Horseshoe Lake Road in Granite City includes resurfacing and ADA improvements. The project began in summer 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in spring 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Beltline Road from Illinois 157 to Illinois 159 in Collinsville includes resurfacing and ADA improvements. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in fall 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 162/157 at Judy’s Branch Creek includes intersection relocation from the north junction of Illinois 157 to the south junction of Illinois 157. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in summer 2028. Expect road closures and signed detours.
• Illinois 3 at West Delmar Avenue and Pierce Lane includes intersection reconstruction. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2025 and be completed in fall 2026. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 111 southbound over Cahokia Canal just north of I-55/70 bridge replacement. The project is anticipated to begin May 2024 and be completed in summer 2025. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained.
• Southern Illinois University northern access road over the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge replacement. The project is anticipated to begin May 2024 and be completed in summer 2025. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained.
• I-57 from Jefferson County Line to just north of Illinois 161 includes pavement reconstruction and bridge repair. The project began in summer 2022 and is anticipated to be completed in winter 2024. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained.
• Illinois 3 over Nine Mile Creek bridge replacement. The project began in winter 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in summer 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 161 from Beech Street to Pleasant Avenue in Centralia includes patching, resurfacing and ADA improvements. The project began in spring 2024 and is expected to be completed in fall 2024. Expect lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 13/153 from Illinois 4 to Perry County Line includes resurfacing and ADA improvements. The project is anticipated to begin in spring 2024 and is expected to be completed in fall 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Air Mobility Drive Extension from Illinois 161 to Illinois 158/177 includes new construction. The project is anticipated to begin in spring 2024 and be completed in summer 2026. Traffic impacts are not expected.
• I-64 from west of Greenmount to 1.1 miles west of Illinois 158 includes widening, resurfacing, interchange improvements and bridge repairs. The project is anticipated to begin in fall 2024 and be completed in fall 2026. Expect intermittent lane closures.
• I-255 from 0.2 miles north of Illinois 157 to Illinois 15 includes resurfacing and bridge and ramp repairs. The project is anticipated to begin in fall 2024 and be completed in summer 2025. Closure with signed detours.
• Little Mary’s River Covered Bridge includes bridge repairs. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in winter 2025. Traffic impacts are not expected.
• Collinsville Road/Ninth Street from Rose Lake Drive in East St. Louis to east of Exchange Avenue includes resurfacing. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in winter 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.
• Illinois 3 and Illinois 157 intersection improvements. The project is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in fall 2024. Expect intermittent lane closures. Two-way traffic will be maintained.

“It’s exciting to see these road construction projects come to life after needing some significant improvements,” said state Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea). “The entire Metro East is a heavily traveled area so it’s essential we are prioritizing and updating our roads down here in order to make them safe and accessible for all drivers.”

“Our continued investment in this region’s infrastructure is creating jobs, sparking economic opportunity and improving the quality of life for area residents,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea). “I appreciate the hard work put into these projects by local officials, state leaders and our Metro East construction workers who are helping to build a better community for us all.”

“Investing in infrastructure – especially transportation infrastructure – is step one when it comes to keeping our economy growing and our families and communities prosperous,” said state Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville). “It’s not flashy or headline-grabbing, but the means of getting people and goods where they need to go and of boosting the ability of both new and established businesses to carry on their valuable trade is how we keep Illinois moving forward.”

Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing a total of $33.2 billion over six years 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 that touches all modes of transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

Accomplishments through March 31 of Rebuild Illinois include approximately $14.8 billion of improvements statewide on 6,078 miles of highways, 629 bridges and 895 additional safety improvements. Visit https://idot.click/Rebuild-Illinois for information and highlights of other Rebuild Illinois projects happening throughout the state.

“Under Gov. Pritzker, IDOT continues to deliver projects in the Metro East that strengthen the state’s entire multimodal system of transportation,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “If you are traveling anywhere in Illinois this construction season, you will be traveling through work zones. Put down the devices. Follow the signs. And when you see orange, slow down and save lives.”

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