Several Will County Construction Projects Starting This Spring

WILL COUNTY, IL — Multiple improvement projects are scheduled to begin this spring in Will County, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Monday. The seven projects represent a total investment of more than $140 million for the region, with $75 million from Gov. J.B .Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, according to a release from the state.

“With the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, we are restoring and transforming Illinois’s aging infrastructure,” Pritzker said in a release. “Rebuild Illinois is not only about investing in infrastructure but about investing in people and communities as well. In the coming months, IDOT will undertake projects that will ultimately create safer roads and bridges and provide jobs in the Will County area and across the entire state.”

The Will County projects include:

I-55 from Interstate 80 to U.S. 52 Jefferson Street (Joliet)

The project will convert the existing interchange into a diverging diamond interchange and add auxiliary lanes along both sides of I-55, according to a release. Three lanes of I-55 in both directions will be open throughout construction, with one lane on each side directed for local routes. The project is scheduled to begin this fall and will be completed in fall 2023.

I-55 at Illinois 59 (Shorewood)

A new bridge will be constructed as part of advance work for a new diverging diamond interchange. Three lanes of I-55 in both directions will be open throughout construction. Work is scheduled to begin in the spring and will be completed in the fall.

I-55 from north of River Road to north of the I&M Canal

Resurfacing project, with rumble strips installed on shoulders. Overnight lane closures will be required, with multiple weekend lane closures anticipated. The project is scheduled to begin this spring and will be completed in the fall.

I-55 from south of I-80 to Weber Road (Joliet, Romeoville)

Project includes the rehabilitation of three bridges that carry I-55 over U.S. 30, Canadian National Railroad and Mink Creek. Two lanes of I-55 will be open between the bridges throughout construction, but overnight lane closures are anticipated. The project is scheduled to begin this spring, and will be completed in the fall.

I-55 at Illinois 53 and I-55 at Joliet Road (Bolingbrook)

Both structures will be re-decked and widened. Three lanes of I-55 in both directions will be open throughout construction and overnight lane closures are anticipated. The project is scheduled to begin this spring and will be done in the fall.

I-80 from Gardner Street to Rowell Avenue eastbound and Richard Street westbound (Joliet)

Project includes pavement reconstruction, widening, replacing or rehabilitating the eastbound I-80 bridges over Hickory Creek, Richards Street and Canadian National Railroad/Rowell Avenue and westbound Richards Street. Two lanes of I-80 in both directions will be open through construction, but the eastbound I-80 ramp to Richard Street will close during the second stage of construction. The overall project is scheduled to begin this spring and will be completed in fall 2022.

Illinois 1 from Burrville Road to just north of Illinois 394 and Illinois 394 from Illinois 1 to County Line Road (Crete)

Resurfacing project, with new ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps and culvert replacement between Elmscourt Street and New Monee Road. Daily lane closures will be necessary, and the project is scheduled to begin this spring and will be completed in the fall.

These projects are in addition to ongoing construction at U.S. 30 and I-80 and Weber Road and I-55, according to the release.

“These projects represent a significant investment in the Will County area and are a big step forward in our work to improve safety, mobility and create economic opportunity for years to come,” Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in a release. “We’re asking drivers to be patient, slow down and pay extra attention driving in and around any work zone.”