Central Illinois will receive $1.52 billion under the five-year capital improvement plan released Monday by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The work funded by the Rebuild Illinois plan passed by the General Assembly earlier this year includes next year’s deck replacement on the Murray Baker Bridge, construction on U.S. Route 24 from Banner to Kingston Mines, a new bridge over the Illinois River at Henry, and work on Knoxville Avenue and Pioneer Parkway.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois is a major transportation hub, but has allowed its infrastructure to crumble for too long. He said that’s why the new $23.5 billion statewide plan is so important.
“This is a grand slam for taxpayers, because we are saving them billions of dollars while also extending the life of our roads and bridges and improving public safety," he said.
State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) also praised the plan.
“We’re making the critical investments to rebuild our communities. I think this is such a win," he said.
The state will fix more than 4,200 miles of roadways across the state. More than 75 percent of the funding is spent on fixing existing roads and bridges.
The plan was funded largely by a hike in the state's motor fuel tax. The tax doubled from 19 cents a gallon to 38 cents a gallon in July. The federal government is also matching many of the state expenditures.
Click here for a full list of projects funded in District 4 (Peoria region).
