I-255 standing out as IDOT looks to speed up projects
Faster. Cheaper. Safer.
Those three words were heard repeatedly during this spring’s rehabilitation of Interstate 255 in St. Clair County in IDOT’s District 8, a project that employed a full closure of the work zone to all traffic.
On June 14, the $65.3 million project wrapped up and the road reopened, a whole six weeks ahead of the original schedule and years sooner than if the project was done traditionally, with traffic maintained through an active work zone over multiple construction seasons. The condensed timeframe also reduced the project cost by an estimated $10 million. And keeping drivers away while workers did their jobs kept everyone safer.
The strategy was the equivalent of ripping off the Band-Aid.
As IDOT continues to experiment and explore a variety of strategies to speed up the delivery of projects, I-255 stands out as a success story.
Joel Cumby, the district’s project implementation engineer, said a full closure is not realistic on most projects, but it’s an approach worth considering when conditions and circumstances fall into place.
“We recognized that I-255 as an outer-ring interstate connected to several other interstates as well as other state routes. There were plenty of opportunities for detours and the public to establish alternative routes on their own,” he said. “Also, we knew the major work efforts could line up with the typical weather patterns of the region. We were set up for the best chance of success.”
To ensure the region’s transportation network could handle a full closure, the district asked the local Metropolitan Planning Organization – the East-West Gateway Council of Governments – to study the impacts and make recommendations.
There also were many stakeholder meetings with elected officials, emergency services, school districts and transit agencies for input.
Another advantage: Drivers already were familiar and accepting of the concept and benefits of closing the interstate to expedite construction. District 8 used the same approach in 2019 to rehabilitate I-255 between Collinsville Road and Illinois 15. The Missouri Department of Transportation did the same on the other side of the Mississippi River to improve I-64/U.S. 40 through St. Louis.
The latest I-255 project was the second of five to improve the Metro East interstate.
The remaining three will continue the improvements between the Mississippi River and Illinois 157. Dates and timelines are still to be determined, but the projects are included in IDOT’s latest multiyear program.
No decisions have been made regarding additional full closures for the remaining stages.
Cumby said it’s a nice option to have in the playbook.
“We found that coming to the public with good information, explaining what we are doing and our thought processes, they understand,” he said. “There will be mixed feelings. But we have found it is best to be empathetic and consistent in the messaging that a full closure leads to a project with a much shorter duration. The feedback has been generally very positive, especially when we reopen ahead of schedule.”