Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation joined local officials and labor leaders Wednesday to celebrate a $2 million dollar street project on three key Carbondale roadways.
Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey said the project involved the reconstruction of Poplar, West Cherry and West College Streets. She said these are important routes to Southern Illinois University and SIH Memorial Hospital, two of the largest employers in the region.
llinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said there are two other projects going on in the immediate area. These involve finishing up work on Union Hill Road in Jackson County and the rehabilitation of Pittsburg Road Bridge in Williamson County.
Governor Pritzker said these investments are part of the largest infrastructure program in state history, totaling $50 billion over six years...$400 million for local projects like the ones in southern Illinois.
Pritzker said he is committed to infrastructure projects in the region after it was neglected by state government for a long time.
For IDOT’s district covering Southern Illinois, $1.1 billion is planned to improve state roads and bridges.
Among the projects advancing are:
- $22 million to reconstruct a mile and resurface more than 13 miles of Illinois 34 from Illinois 37 to the Saline County line in Franklin County
- $14.5 to resurface and build new shoulders along nearly 7 miles of Illinois 152 from Illinois 127 to U.S. 51 in Perry County
- $14 million to reconstruct 1.4 miles and resurface 1.2 miles of Illinois 146 from Illinois 127 to U.S. 51 in Union County
Released last month, IDOT’s Fiscal Year 2026-31 Proposed Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program identifies a total investment of $32.5 billion in roads and bridges, and $18.1 billion for other modes, including $13.8 billion for transit, $2.9 billion for freight and passenger rail, $1.2 billion for aviation, and $200 million for ports and waterways.
This year’s multi-year program also made $400 million available through special legislative appropriation backed by Governor Pritzker to help further address local transportation needs, with consideration given to disadvantaged or economically distressed communities. Of the 223 awards, 177 are for roads, 34 for bike and pedestrian improvements, 10 for transit, and two for ports.
IDOT is making several investments in local projects via the $400 million appropriation, including:
- $2 million in Carbondale for road improvements
- $2.2 million to complete the third and final phase of the Union Hill Road reconstruction in Jackson County
- $918,000 to rehab the Pittsburg Road bridge in Williamson County
