Peoria’s Main and University intersection officially opened Monday after months of construction and improvements. The $2.6 million project includes pedestrian-friendly bumpouts, raised pavement to slow traffic, and three lanes on Main and University for several blocks. Peoria City Engineer Scott Reeise says the short construction timeline was an aggressive pace:
“We had a challenge and Mother nature worked for us very well. We never really had delays. It was cold when we started off, there was still snow and about four feet of frost on the ground, so we had to actually heat the pavement up with the ground warmer in order to get the water main in and set the stage for us to get this work done,” Reeise says.
The intersection also includes a pedestrian crosswalk that stops traffic in all directions for easier access. Reese says it will take another month before work at Columbia Terrace and University is complete. He says crews hope to install lighted crosswalks at Main and University this summer.