Local News

IDOT: McLean and surrounding counties to receive $750M-plus in roadwork by 2029

WGLT | By Lyndsay Jones

Published July 10, 2023 at 4:45 PM CDT

Starting next year, portions of state and local highways in and around McLean County will undergo work related to the the Illinois Department of Transportation's recently announced six-year infrastructure plan.

Announced Friday, IDOT's plan is the largest multiyear plan laid out in the state's history and allocates $41 billion for various projects, ranging from road and bridge projects to rail, port and waterway improvements.

McLean County is one of seven counties that make up IDOT's District 5 which, according to state documentation, will receive $756 million worth of improvements to highways from 2024-2029.

The district includes nearly 1,300 miles of highways and 681 bridges, according to IDOT. More than 9 million miles are traveled by vehicles in the district each day.

Some Bloomington-Normal area proposed highway repair projects included in the $41 billion multiyear infrastructure plan from the state Department of Transportation.

The scope of projects in District 5 varies between state and local highway and bridge rehabilitation or preservation; no other infrastructure projects — such as aviation-related work — are slated for the area, according to IDOT's plan documentation.

In the Bloomington-Normal area, major projects laid out by IDOT for a 2025 start date so far include:

10 miles of resurfacing on Interstate 74 from .3 miles west of Township Road 90 (725 E County Road) south of Carlock to Interstate 55 north of Normal. Work is expected to cost $21 million.
10.9 miles of resurfacing on U.S. 51 from the McLean County line to Macon County. Work is slated to begin in 2025 and is estimated to cost $13 million.
5.1 miles of resurfacing and ADA-related improvements on U.S. 51 Business, as well as traffic signal "modernization," from Gregory/Bowles streets in Normal to Olive Street in Bloomington. Cost is $25.5 million.

One project is set for for a 2024 start: 7.5 miles of repairs along Illinois 9/US 150-US 51 Business/Illinois 9 from Martin Luther King Drive to Carnahan Drive east of Bloomington. The repairs are split, ranging from total reconstruction on 1.3 miles, resurfacing on 6.2 miles, bridge repairs, traffic signal replacements to utilities' adjustments.

In total, more than half of the state's allocated $41 billion — around $27 billion — is for road and bridge projects, including $4.6 billion in this current fiscal year.

Capitol News Illinois contributed reporting.