The Illinois Route 158 Outer Belt Feasibility
Study (1999-2001) determined the need for a new transportation
corridor to serve the Metro East. The study examined existing and future
transportation demand, land use, and environmental issues in the
potential corridor. Public meetings and interaction with local officials
and other stakeholders played an important role in the study.
The Feasibility Study initially looked at a very broad study area that
encompassed parts of Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe counties. After technical
and environmental evaluation, and input from stakeholders and the public, the
study area was narrowed resulting in a “Recommended Study Corridor.”
Roughly 37 miles long and one to two miles wide, this final study area
extended from the I-55/70 - U.S. 40 interchange near Troy in Madison County,
south and west through St. Clair County, to I-255 near Columbia in Monroe
County. Several conceptual options for connecting to I-55/70 and I-255 were
created as well, with the expectation that future studies and design would be
responsible for identifying the best location for these connections.
Data evaluated during the Feasibility Study showed that the three counties in
the study area could expect to see population and employment increases of up to
25% by 2020 (based on 1996 figures). Traffic volume was projected to increase by
at least 25% as well.
The data used for the Feasibility Study (and the subsequent Corridor
Protection Study) was developed and adopted by the
East-West Gateway Council of Governments, the Metropolitan Planning
Organization for the St. Louis region. East-West Gateway is vested by the
federal government and the states with legal authority and responsibility for
developing long- and short-range transportation plans for the region.
The Corridor
Protection Study
In light of the Feasibility Study’s findings, IDOT recognized that if growth
and development in the region continued at the current pace, the demands placed
on existing transportation facilities would intensify. As a result, travel times
and congestion would increase, existing facilities would require more
maintenance, and, most importantly, the safety of the motoring public would be
compromised. This population and traffic growth could be expected to continue
well into the future, with or without a new corridor.
IDOT therefore initiated the Gateway Connector Corridor Protection Study in
2003 in order to:
- Identify a future corridor that could accommodate many different kinds of
transportation improvements
- Protect a future corridor now to minimize impacts to people and the
environment later on
- Reduce the cost to Illinois residents of improvements or a new facility in
the corridor
To determine the best location for a new corridor, the study team:
- Analyzed the most recent traffic, land use, and population data and
projections from East-West Gateway Council of Governments
- Inventoried, mapped, and quantified known environmental constraints and land
use issues
- Involved residents, civic leaders, communities, and groups through extensive
public outreach
and feedback opportunities
- Developed and evaluated numerous corridor alternatives by measuring
potential impacts, displacements,
and engineering issues and incorporating public input
The Corridor Protection Study found that most of the communities in the study
area grew at very robust rates from 1980-2000. Some examples of this include:
Shiloh, 631% increase; Troy, 126% increase; Columbia, 85% increase; and
O’Fallon, 79% increase. Belleville’s population declined about 1% over this
period. Many areas outside the study area experienced population declines during
the same period, such as East Carondelet, Brooklyn, Venice, and East St. Louis.
East-West Gateway projections for the 2000-2025 period show 10% to 29%
population increases in analysis areas traversed by the Gateway Connector
corridor. Individual communities are projecting even greater growth: for
2000-2020, O’Fallon expects a 70-79% increase and Columbia anticipates a 37%
increase.
The study's traffic projections showed that (if a roadway facility is placed
in the corridor) 15,000 to 48,000 vehicles could use the corridor each day. This
is not "new" traffic but represents vehicles being "removed" from existing
routes, thereby reducing congestion on existing roadways. These projections also
show that most people who would use the corridor would be making local trips
rather than motorists traveling straight through the corridor.
The 400-foot wide alternative selected in the study represents a corridor
that best meets the future transportation needs of the study area while
minimizing impacts to the natural and human environments. Its selection was
based on an integrated and balanced consideration of engineering, traffic,
socioeconomic and natural resource factors and was found to be a route that has
a high degree of engineering feasibility, effectively avoids unique and
sensitive resources, and provides the best service to the growing communities.
The Corridor Protection Study did not recommend, specify, or rule out any
improvements or facility types that could be located within the corridor.
Although the corridor’s width - 400 feet - is wide enough to accommodate a “high
type” transportation facility, like a multi-lane limited access roadway, such
decisions were not made as a result of the Corridor Protection Study. Corridor
protection does not mean it has already been determined that an entirely new
roadway facility is in fact needed.
Like the Feasibility Study, the Corridor Protection Study was a long-range
transportation planning study to help identify a corridor for future
transportation needs in the region. These studies were not conducted to solve
immediate problems on area roadways.
What is Corridor Protection?
Corridor protection is a legal process found in
Statute 605 ILCS 5/4-510 of the Illinois Highway Code. This statute was
first enacted by the state’s General Assembly in 1967. The process is a
planning tool that helps IDOT, in conjunction with local communities and
individuals, prepare for expected future transportation needs in a given
area. Corridor protection is especially beneficial in areas experiencing
tremendous growth, such as the communities in the Gateway Connector study
area. Simply put, corridor protection:
- Minimizes residential and commercial displacements and environmental
impacts
- Benefits communities by incorporating their long-range plans and needs
- Establishes a corridor that could be used for a variety of
transportation improvements
Corridor protection does not mean it has already been determined that a
new roadway facility is the best use for the Gateway Connector corridor. The
Phase I study (see “What’s Next?” below) will look at a variety of options -
including the “No Build” option - to determine what transportation
improvements could best handle the expected population and traffic growth.
Property owners within the protected corridor are not prohibited from
using their property as they wish, nor is property “seized” as a result of
corridor protection. If and when IDOT needs to acquire any property in the
corridor, its value will be determined at the time of purchase by IDOT, not
at the time the corridor was recorded. Property value is not “frozen” at the
time of corridor protection.
The Gateway Connector corridor could be modified during future study
phases. For example, the more detailed level of analysis in Phase I may
identify significant environmental impacts, displacement issues, or
engineering concerns. Public input will play an important role in this
process as well. Any such modifications to the corridor would most likely be
minor shifts (for example, to avoid a cemetery or historical site), and
would not mean that entirely new corridor options would be created.
What's Next?
Location and Environmental Study (“Phase I”). Included as part of Governor
Blagojevich’s
Opportunity Returns program. This phase could take up to five years to
complete and will include activities such as:
- Evaluate potential environmental impacts and displacements
- Assess deficiencies and strengths of existing transportation system
- Conduct detailed traffic and land use studies
- Evaluate a variety of transportation improvement options for the corridor
(including the “No Build” option)
- Recommend appropriate solutions for corridor and determine facility type
- Coordinate with communities and public to identify access needs and issues
- Conduct comprehensive public involvement and outreach
The Phase I study’s findings will be documented in an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS), which is mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act of
1967 (NEPA) for federally-funded projects that could have significant effects on
the environment. It is likely that any future construction would require some
federal funding.
The Phase I study will evaluate a variety of options - including the
option of no improvements - in order to determine what transportation
improvements could best handle the expected population and traffic growth. The
findings of the Phase I study could indicate that improvements to existing
routes, increased mass transit, or other alternatives would solve transportation
needs better than a new roadway facility. However, if the Phase I study finds
that a new facility would be the best solution, then a corridor will be in place
for its use. Such a facility would not necessarily be a multi-lane,
limited-access highway. It is possible that, depending on the traffic needs, a
different facility type could be used in various locations.
There are no plans, timetable, or funding in place for any construction of a
new regional transportation facility within the corridor. At a minimum, it could
be 10 to 15 years before any construction takes place, assuming Phase I
identifies a new facility to be the best solution to future transportation
needs.
