Governor Releases $103 Million for Road Construction

SPRINGFIELD - Governor George H. Ryan today released $103.9 million in state construction bond funds for 20 road and highway repair or building projects throughout Illinois, including funds for a new bridge over the Rock River in Milan, the renovation of Interstate 74 in East Peoria, repairs to Interstate 80 in Grundy and Kendall counties and renovations to Illinois Route 159 in Madison County.

"A modern and efficient road and highway system is vital to the economy of Illinois," Governor Ryan said. "Over the last four years my administration has repaired, expanded or built hundreds of miles of roads to improve safety and the movement of people and goods. These projects also have kept our economy moving by creating hundreds of construction jobs in Illinois."

Since 1999, Governor Ryan has overseen more than $4 billion in road, highway and bridge projects, with about half of these projects funded by the governor's Illinois FIRST program. The current year's road program will target 867 miles of road and 209 bridges.

Governor Ryan released $16.8 million to continue work on a new bridge over the Rock River that will connect Indian Bluff Road, along the Milan Beltway, to 7th Street in Moline. The bridge will cost an estimated $38 million and was one of the initial projects that received a funding commitment from Illinois FIRST. The bridge has been on the drawing board for at least 30 years and it is estimated that by 2020, 34,000 vehicles will use it daily.

Governor Ryan also released $4.7 million to continue work to rehabilitate Interstate 74 in the Peoria area. This particular project will improve the ramp from eastbound I-74 to Riverfront Drive in East Peoria. This work will complement the on-going $400 million repair and expansion of I-74 on the other side of the river in downtown Peoria.

More than $28.7 million was released to rehabilitate portions of Interstate 80 near Minooka, beginning east of Morris Road to the Will County Line and in Grundy County from Aux Sable Creek to east of Illinois Route 47. Another $14.6 million was released to rehabilitate the northbound Illinois Route 47 bridges that cross the Illinois River and the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal in Morris.

Governor Ryan released more than $12.1 million to rehabilitate Illinois Route 159 in Maryville and Collinsville from Interstate 55 to Interstate 270.

Other projects included in this latest grant release are:

• Champaign County -- $3.2 million for US Route 45 in Rantoul
• Effingham County -- $4.2 million for Illinois Route 33 in Effingham
• Fayette County -- $1.09 million for Illinois Route 185
• Fulton County -- $1.35 million for Illinois Route 57 north of Cuba
• Grundy County -- $307,000 for Township Route 17
• Jackson County -- $3 million for Illinois Route 51 in Carbondale
• Jefferson County -- $1.8 million for Illinois Route 15
• Kankakee County -- $2.96 million for Court Street in Kankakee
• Knox County -- $1 million for US Route 150
• Lawrence County -- $1.2 million for Illinois Route 1
• Madison County -- $1.7 million for the Alton Bypass
• McLean County -- $3.1 million for Interstate 55
• Tazewell County -- $1.7 million for US Route 150

Funds for these projects are generated through the sale of state bonds. By law, proceeds from bond sales cannot be used for general state operations.