Rebuilding Springfield: Major projects highlight Year Three of Rebuild Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Entering Year Three of Rebuild Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that multiple projects in the Springfield area are completed, underway or upcoming, highlighting an ongoing commitment made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker's historic, bipartisan capital program. Six major projects represent a total investment of more than $56 million, improving safety, mobility and quality of life while sustaining and creating good-paying jobs throughout the region.

"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 Springfield and across the entire state."

In the Springfield area, one project is already completed and the other five are expected to be finished in 2021 or 2022. They include:

• Interstate 55 bridge over the Sangamon River, Sangamon Avenue and Canadian National Railroad bridge deck repairs began this spring and are scheduled to be completed in December. Lane closures will be necessary. Ramps will be closed northbound on I-55 from Sangamon Avenue.
• Fifth and Sixth streets between Stanford Avenue and Ash Street bridge replacements, railroad capacity improvements and upgrades, as well drainage enhancements, began in 2019 and are scheduled to be completed next summer. Lane closures will be required during most of the project. For short durations, full closures of Fifth and Sixth streets will be required to install overhead structures.
• Interstate 72 between Curran and Illinois 4 bridge deck replacement, resurfacing, bridge and retaining wall repairs began last year and are scheduled to be completed in late 2022. No lane closures until the project resumes next spring.
• Illinois 29 through Rochester traffic signal modernization and installation of pedestrian signals and push buttons are anticipated to begin this fall. Lane closures will be required, with at least one lane of traffic in each direction open at all times. 
• Sangamon Avenue over the Canadian National Railroad just west of I-55 bridge deck repairs are anticipated to begin this fall. At least one lane in each direction will be open at all times.
• I-55 over Lake Springfield milling and resurfacing of the bridge approaches were completed this spring.

"Rebuild Illinois continues to make life-changing impacts in every corner of the state, every neighborhood, town and city, including the capital of Springfield," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. "As always, please pardon our dust while we rebuild Illinois: Be patient, slow down and pay extra attention driving in and around any work zone." 

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,535 miles of highway and 9 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Two of Rebuild Illinois included approximately $5.2 billion of improvements statewide on 3,020 miles of highway, 270 bridges and 428 additional safety improvements.

"Thanks to Governor Pritzker's leadership and foresight pre-pandemic, the capital funding for Rebuild Illinois is helping Springfield rebound exponentially with jobs and critical infrastructure improvements post-pandemic. We look forward to these enhancements coming to our community and renewed opportunities for Illinois' capital city," said Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder.

Click here or visit idot.click/Rebuild-Illinois to view maps on the impact of Rebuild Illinois on this region and other parts of the state.

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