Rebuilding the Illinois Quad Cities: Major projects highlight Year Three of Rebuild Illinois

MOLINE - Entering Year Three of Rebuild Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that multiple projects in the Quad Cities area are underway, highlighting an ongoing commitment made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker's historic, bipartisan capital program. Seven major projects represent a total investment of more than $556.9 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 the Quad Cities and across the entire state."

Three projects in Quad Cities area are completed and four are scheduled to be completed in 2021.They include:

• Illinois 81 from U.S. 150 To Interstate 74 was resurfaced and reopened in July.
• I-74 over Osco-Orion Road in Henry County bridge repairs were completed in July. Project consisted of patching the decks, replacing expansion joints and installing a concrete overlay on both structures.
• U.S. 6 over BNSF Railroad and Briar Cliff Road near Colona bridge repairs were completed in July, consisting of replacing expansion joints and installing a concrete deck overlay.
• Interstate 280 over Mississippi River in Rock Island westbound bridge deck replacement began in March. Traffic has shifted to the eastbound lanes, with a lane in each direction separated by a concrete barrier until November. The eastbound deck will be replaced in 2022 and the approach from the bridge to the Illinois 92 interchange will be resurfaced in 2023. The bridge also will be painted.
• Interstate 74 over Mississippi River new eastbound bridge that connects Illinois and Iowa opens late this year. All traffic is currently using the new westbound bridge.
• Illinois 81 from Galva-Atkinson Road to West Street in Kewanee resurfacing of 6-mile stretch is expected to wrap up in November.
• Illinois 82 over the Edwards River near Cambridge bridge repairs, including expansion joint replacement and concrete deck overlay, wraps up late summer.

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

"Our outreach with residents clearly indicates that infrastructure projects like those sponsored by Rebuild Illinois dollars are necessary for the continued vitality of our region. Communities across the Quad Cities will benefit from these projects and we are thankful for the support," said Mayor of Moline Sangeetha Rayapati.

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 2, follow @IDOTDistrict2 on Twitter or sign up to receive email alerts from IDOT in Motion. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook.