Rebuilding Kankakee: Major projects highlight Year Three of Rebuild Illinois

KANKAKEE - Entering Year Three of Rebuild Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that multiple projects in the Kankakee area are underway, highlighting an ongoing commitment made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker's historic, bipartisan capital program. Three major projects represent a total investment of more than $20 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 Kankakee and across the entire state."

All three projects in the Kankakee area are scheduled to be completed in 2021. They include:

• Interstate 57 from mile marker 310 to 302 resurfacing and bridge repairs over Minnie Creek. Daily and overnight lane closures will occur until work wraps up in November.
• Otto Road over Interstate 57 replacement of the bridge deck. The bridge will be closed until project wraps up in November.
• River Road over Interstate 57 overlay began in April. One lane will be open until the project wraps up this fall.

"Rebuild Illinois continues to make life-changing impacts in every corner of the state, every neighborhood, town and city, Kankakee included," 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." 

"The City of Kankakee is thankful for the Rebuild Illinois program that is bringing significant infrastructure improvements and jobs to our community," said Kankakee Mayor Christopher W. Curtis. "These improvements to the Interstate 57 corridor that serves the City and surrounding Kankakee region will help our ability to attract new industry, as well as laying the groundwork for future improvements of exit #312 and #308 interchanges."

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.

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.

For news on these and other projects in IDOT's District 3, follow @IDOTDistrict3 on Twitter or sign up to receive email alerts from IDOT in Motion. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook.