Virtual public meeting Jan. 12 for proposed improvements on U.S. Business Route 20 in Boone County

DIXON - The Illinois Department of Transportation will host a virtual public meeting from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 12, to discuss the preliminary engineering and environmental study for the improvement of 4 miles of  U.S. Business Route 20 from Shaw Road through the State Street/Appleton Road intersection in Belvidere. The public can register for the public meeting, review project details and send questions to IDOT staff online at https://tinyurl.com/USBusiness20Study.

U.S. Business Route 20 was opened in 1931 as a two-lane road and provides a critical transportation link for the region. As development in the area continues, future traffic projections indicate that maintaining a two-lane road would not provide sufficient capacity and it is anticipated that traffic congestion will continue to escalate.

The engineering and environmental study will evaluate reconstruction and expansion of the road from two to four lanes to accommodate future traffic projections. The study also will evaluate safety, capacity and infrastructure deficiencies to increase mobility of the corridor. Input during the meeting will help IDOT establish improvement strategies. Any comments received through February 12, 2022 will become part of the official public meeting record.

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 included approximately $5.2 billion of improvements statewide on 3,020 miles of highway, 270 bridges and 428 additional safety improvements.

For IDOT District 2 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict2 or view area construction details on IDOT's traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.