Rebuilding Rockford Major projects highlight Year Three of Rebuild Illinois

ROCKFORD - Entering Year Three of Rebuild Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that multiple projects in the Rockford area are underway, highlighting an ongoing commitment made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker's historic, bipartisan capital program. Six major projects represent a total investment of nearly $29.7 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 Rockford and across the entire state."

All six projects in the Rockford area are completed or scheduled to conclude in 2021. They include:

•  Business U.S. 20 (East State Street) from Buckley Drive to Mid-American Drive
installation of storm sewers, bike path, signals, lighting and reconstruction at Perryville Road started in June and is scheduled to end in November. Median work and resurfacing will occur next spring. Anticipate overnight and daytime lane closures throughout the project.

•  U.S. 20 at 20th Street demolition and replacement of the 20th Street bridge over U.S. 20 with a structure that has two lanes of traffic and a separate multiuse bicycle and pedestrian path. To accommodate the work zone, 20th Street traffic is detoured to Sandy Hollow Road, Illinois 251 (11th Street) and Samuelson Road. Construction began in May and scheduled to be completed at the end of October.

•  Illinois 70 from the Pecatonica River in Winnebago County to Safford Road in Rockford resurfacing began in June. Daytime lane closures will be utilized to complete the project, scheduled to end in late fall.

•  U.S. 20 from Falconer Road to Simpson Road pavement patching began Aug. 2 on the 6.5-mile section of the Rockford Bypass and includes the ramps at the Montague Road and Meridian Road interchanges. This work is scheduled to end in October. The road will be resurfaced in 2022.

•  U.S. 20 over the Kishwaukee River in Cherry Valley expansion joint replacements on both bridges wrapped up in June.

•  Interstate 39/U.S. 51 over Kilbuck Creek in Ogle County patching the decks of both bridges, as well as replacing expansion joints, installing a concrete overlay and completing other repairs, finished in June.

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

"I'm excited to see that several much-needed projects in Rockford are now underway as part of Rebuild Illinois," says Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. "Our infrastructure is absolutely critical to the health of our community. It enhances public safety, maintains, and improves the movement of commerce and economic activity throughout the city, and promotes a sense of well-being for our entire community. This important work would not be possible without the support and advocacy of Gov. Pritzker."

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