I-70 RECONSTRUCTION IN SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS
WILL HAVE 10 MILE LANE RESTRICTIONS

CLARK COUNTY, IL -- A 10-mile section of Interstate 70 in Clark County, IL, at the Indiana border will be reduced to one lane in each direction beginning Friday, March 1, when a $74 million reconstruction project begins.

Eastbound I-70 from the Indiana line to one mile west of Illinois 1 will be closed to traffic on March 1. All traffic will be placed on the westbound lanes with only one lane of traffic in each direction throughout the 10 miles, separated by a concrete barrier. Work on the eastbound lanes is expected to be completed by July 3.

The eastbound US 40 ramps will also be closed until May 23. During that time ramp traffic will be diverted to the IL 1 interchange. In addition, the Cumberland Road Rest Area will close on March 1 for ramp and parking lot improvements and will reopen October 31.

Work on a 2.5 mile section from the Indiana line to west of US 40 will be expedited so all lanes can be open prior to the Memorial Day holiday. US 40, which parallels I-70, will be used as an alternate route in an emergency. However, for nearly two miles before the Indiana line US 40 and I-70 are the same highway, leaving no alternate route, thus the need to expedite work on that section of highway.

On July 7 work will start on the westbound lanes of I-70, with one lane open in each direction of the new eastbound lanes. The 2.5 mile section from US 40 to the Indiana line will again be accelerated to assure reopening prior to the Labor Day holiday. The entire project is scheduled for completion by October 31.

The $74 million project includes reconstruction of the I-70 pavement and the bridges over IL 1, Big Creek, Little Creek, Crooked Creek, and Hawks Creek. Township bridges over I-70 at TR 107, TR 272A, County Highway 20, and TR 340 will be raised to accommodate the new I-70 pavement. Improvements will be made to the turn lanes and ramps at the IL 1 and US 40 interchanges, and IL 1 will be resurfaced north and south of I-70.

The ramps to the Cumberland Road Rest Area and the parking lots will be improved, as will the ramps and parking lot at the truck weigh station. Additional weigh station improvements will be made to provide for more efficient truck movements.

The contractor is Walsh Construction Co. of Illinois from Chicago.

Motorists are advised to slow down and drive with caution through the work zone area. Reduced speed limits will be strictly enforced.