Public comment sought on proposed improvements at the I-57/Illinois 16 interchange in Mattoon

For Immediate Release – July 27, 2021

MATTOON – The Illinois Department of Transportation is inviting the public to a virtual meeting on the proposed reconstruction of the Interstate 57/Illinois 16 interchange in Mattoon. A project overview along with meeting materials is available for review and comment through the project website. Public participation is encouraged. This improvement will invest over $31 million into the community.

At https://idot.illinois.gov/projects/I-57-IL-16-Interchange-Reconstruction.html, the public can review project details and send questions to IDOT staff. The virtual public meeting runs through Aug. 6, and any comments received on or before that date will become part of the official public record.
The I-57/Illinois 16 interchange is being reconstructed to eliminate over-height vehicle impacts to the I-57 bridges over Illinois 16, address the structural deficiencies of these bridges and address the geometric deficiencies of the cloverleaf interchange while minimizing the effects on capacity.

This project is part of IDOT’s current FY22-27 multiyear plan. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in 2023 and will take approximately 3-4 years to complete.

The improvements will remove and replace two bridges to provide additional vertical clearance. It will also reconfigure the interchange into a raindrop diamond interchange. Additionally, a new, 10-feet wide concrete shared-use path will be constructed along the south side of Illinois 16 from Swords Drive in Mattoon to Coles Center Parkway.

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,300 miles of highway and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Year One included approximately $2.7 billion of improvements statewide on 1,706 miles of highway and 128 bridges along with 228 additional safety improvements.

For IDOT District 7 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict7 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.