Rebuilding Illinois: Multiple projects tackled in 2020
DECATUR – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that multiple projects in the Decatur area are completed, underway or extending into future construction seasons, highlighting an ongoing commitment made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois. In the Decatur area alone, five major projects represent a total investment of $35 million for the region, with $30 million coming from the historic and bipartisan capital program.
“Rebuild Illinois is not only about investing in infrastructure but about investing in people and communities as well. This first full year of Rebuild Illinois brought projects to the Decatur area that created jobs and invested in the local economy in a way that was sorely needed,” said Gov. Pritzker. “The work completed this year is just the start of many more local improvements that will build better and safer roads and bridges, while keeping communities like Decatur competitive and strengthening our state’s status as a transportation hub for the nation.”
Of the five major projects in the Decatur area, three were completed in 2020, one is scheduled to be completed in 2021 and another is to be completed in 2022. Completed projects include:
• U.S. 51 resurfacing from about a mile south of U.S. 36 to just east of U.S. 51 Business southwest of Decatur began in July and was completed in September.
• Interstate 72 bridge deck overlays and repairs a mile east of Oreana under County Highway 20 started in June and were completed in September.
• Old U.S. 36 resurfacing from the Sangamon County line to U.S. 36 in Decatur began in June and was completed in October.
“Our mission to keep this construction season on schedule has not wavered, despite the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “We completed several major Decatur-area projects this year and are on track to finish others in 2021. This work will improve safety, boost quality of life and create economic opportunity for many years to come.”
Passed in 2019, Gov. Pritzker’s historic and bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan is investing $33.2 billion into the state’s aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. Rebuild Illinois is not only the largest capital program in state history but also the first one that touches all modes of Illinois transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
As part of the new FY2021-26 Proposed Highway Improvement Program released in July, IDOT is investing $21.3 billion to improve roads and bridges over the next six years, the second multi-year plan that reflects the impact of Rebuild Illinois.
For news on these and other projects in IDOT’s District 7, follow @IDOTDistrict7 on Twitter or sign up to receive email alerts from IDOT in Motion. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook.
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