Underpass

After more than eight years of trying, the Town of Normal may be able to move ahead with the Trail East and West developments on Uptown Circle. And if council members balk at a price increase for the Uptown Underpass, the town could have to repay millions in grant funding.

There are still a lot of details to work through with a prospective contractor on the Uptown Normal underpass project for another revised bid, and with state, federal, and railroad partners. City Manager Pam Reece has more to say in a WGLT interview.

The updated tentative price to build the Uptown underpass project in Normal is about $33.7 million. That is above the roughly $32 million bid approved in November. The previous winning bidder withdrew over concerns about timing and its ability to meet the cost.

The decade-old Underpass project in Uptown Normal has had another hitch. The contractor, Millstone-Weber, said it can't meet the requirements and construction timeline and has pulled out.

2025 was a good year for Normal, according to City Manager Pam Reece, noting town achievements include a range of infrastructure projects, opening a refurbished skate park at Fairview Park, and advancing the town's public arts plan.

The mayor of Normal is answering criticism of the town council decision's to move ahead with the Uptown underpass project despite steep price increases and a larger town share of the $40.3 million cost.

The Uptown underpass project, first proposed 10 years ago, was approved Monday night by the Normal Town Council with a sunset provision on tax increases needed to complete financing.

Some Uptown business owners are criticizing a proposal to raise food and beverage and hotel-motel taxes in Normal. They’re also not happy about an accelerated timeline to a council vote on Monday — just three business days after the proposal became public.

To get the decade-old Uptown underpass project over the finish line will require increases in food and beverage and hotel-motel taxes. That staff recommendation emerged at a special town council meeting on Wednesday evening.

The Town of Normal is still in watch and wait mode as the Trump administration aggressively cuts programs and federal agency staff.