New coalition wants to speed up I-80 work
I-80 Coalition brings together local government, business and labor
By Bob Okon
The Herald News
June 27, 2018
A new I-80 Coalition is being formed to speed up long-term plans to improve the interstate.
The group held its first meeting Wednesday with more than 50 representatives from government, business and labor, said John Greuling, CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development.
Greuling said a similar coalition was formed to promote the construction of Interstate 355 in Will County, and the same kind of effort will be made to move Interstate 80 plans ahead of the tentative 15- to 20-year schedule that the Illinois Department of Transportation now has for the project.
“We’re really going to be a cheerleader and a lobbying group to get the project done a lot quicker than IDOT thinks they can get it done,” Greuling said.
That likely will include exploring alternative sources for funding improvements, he said.
IDOT has a plan costing at least $1 billion plan for I-80 improvements along a 16-mile stretch from New Lenox to Minooka. It includes major projects such as the replacement of the Des Plaines River bridge in Joliet, reconstruction of the Chicago Street interchange and additional lanes to improve traffic flow.
Funding is not available for the entire plan, however.
The state’s five-year plan only includes funding for replacing smaller bridges at Rowell Avenue, Richards Street, Gardner Street and Hickory Creek, along with rehabilitation of the Chicago Street bridge.
But Illinois also has committed $21 million to build a new Houbolt Road interchange in Joliet once CenterPoint Properties moves ahead with construction of a bridge over the Des Plaines River.
The state this month also announced it would use federal funding to rebuild the Route 30 interchange in New Lenox.
Charles Gallagher, president of Gallagher Asphalt and a member of the I-80 Coalition, said more is needed to “bring I-80 into the 21st century.”
“I think that areas of I-80 have been neglected for a long time,” Gallagher said. “Unfortunately in Illinois, there are too few dollars chasing too many needs. If we’re not there, we’re not going to get anything done.”
James Roolf, president of First Midwest Bank’s Joliet Banking Center and a member of the group that pushed for construction of I-355, said there was a lot of enthusiasm at the I-80 Coalition meeting.
“I think there’s a lot of interest in working through this,” Roolf said. “This is a much larger group than the [I-355] group was.”
The first goal of the coalition, Greuling said, will be to establish itself as a nonprofit so it can begin raising funds for education and lobbying efforts.
“One of the things we want to do is make sure the discussion on I-80 is factual and accurate,” he said.
I-80 Coalition News
IDOT Launches New Site to Keep Public Informed on I-80 Reconstruction
The Illinois Department of Transportation has launched a new website, I80will.org, to provide the public with the latest information on the $1.2 billion reconstruction of Interstate 80 through Will County, one of the cornerstone projects of Governor JB Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program.
Joliet Invites Public to Houbolt Road Meeting
The city of Joliet is inviting the public to an informational meeting on April 6 about the construction project this year on Houbolt-Hollywood Road and the Interstate 80 interchange.
IDOT Hosts Governor JB Pritzker Press Conference – Update on Houbolt Road Extension-I80 Project
Doug Pryor, Vice President of Economic Development with the Will County Center for Economic Development was among the speakers following Governor Pritzker’s update on these critical infrastructure projects.
Gov. Pritzker Announces Six-Year Plan for $1.2 Billion I-80 Corridor Improvement Project
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation were joined today by local officials and community leaders to announce a six-year plan to rebuild Interstate 80 in Will County.
Interstate 80 Project Includes Overnight Lane Closures
Construction crews on Monday will begin getting Interstate 80 ready for the $1.2 billion project that includes replacing the Des Plaines River bridge. The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Thursday that bridge deck patching and repairs to I-80 between Chicago and Briggs streets in Joliet will require overnight lane closures, followed by multiple weekend lane and ramp closures.
The Houbolt Road Extension Project is Moving Forward
The Houbolt Road Extension Project is Moving Forward Project Completion Projected for Early 2023 Houbolt Road Extension JV, LLC ("HRE-JV"), a joint venture between United Bridge Partners and CenterPoint Properties, entered into a lease agreement with the City of...
Hoboult Road bridge underway, intersection project slated for late fall
Hoboult Road bridge underway, intersection project slated for late fall By Bob Okon Construction of the Houbolt Road bridge and a new Interstate 80 interchange is scheduled to be completed at roughly the same time in early 2023, but they won’t start together. Houbolt...
Houbolt Bridge Construction Ready to Go
Construction of the Houbolt Road bridge is expected to start within the next couple of weeks. “We’re a full go as of today,” Michael Murphy, chief development officer for CenterPoint Properties said Tuesday.