La Salle County to see $19.5 million in construction in 2024 from state plan

La Salle County will see more than $19.5 million in construction projects in 2024, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s multi-year program.

In July, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office and IDOT announced its largest multi-year program to fix and repair infrastructure in state history: $40.99 billion over six years through 2029. The new program is the first time in more than a decade IDOT is releasing a comprehensive approach to invest in all modes of transportation, including roads and bridges, aviation, transit, freight and passenger rail, waterways, as well as bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

The largest project on slate in La Salle County is a $14 million designed overlay of 5.26 miles of Interstate 80 from a mile west of Route 89 to 0.7 miles west of Route 251. This project encompasses Interstate 80 through Bureau County as well.

Other projects scheduled for 2024 include:

$2.6 million for designed overlay, new shoulders and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements on 2.35 miles of the Earlville spur from U.S. 34 west of the railroad to U.S. 34 0.2 miles east of Rave Road.

$2.42 million for reconstruction of the pavement of 0.69 miles of Plank Road south of Ed Urban Drive to 0.1 mile north of Midtown Road in Peru.

$494,000 for a rehabilitation of the 2.84 miles of pavement on County Highway 41 (also east 1351st Road) from the DeKalb County line to Brown Street.

$30,000 of railroad engineering for pavement reconstruction on Route 170 from U.S. 6 to south of South Street in Seneca.

There are dozens more projects scheduled 2025-2029 in La Salle County, including $35 million resurfacing of 14.7 miles of of Interstate 39 from the Marshall County line to the Lincoln Memorial Bridge over the Illinois River. The project includes 0.6 miles of reconstruction of a bridge just north of Route 18 at Sandy Creek.

Additionally, a $26 million project is slated 2025-2029 to replace the Route 23 bridge in Ottawa over the Illinois River. Land acquisition, utility adjustments and construction engineering are among the items listed in the cost. The project was approved with Illinois Special Bridge Program funding.

The Fiscal Year 2024-29 Proposed Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program aims to invest $27.03 billion in roads and bridges, with $4.6 billion identified for the current fiscal year.