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Overview
Project Description
Illinois Route 97 is currently a 2-lane State highway that extends from Veteran’s Parkway in Springfield to U.S. Highway 150 near Galesburg. The 5.5 mile, east-west section from Veterans Parkway to the IL 125/97 junction west of Springfield is proposed to be upgraded to a partial access controlled, 4-lane expressway.
The proposed improvement involves an alignment shift to the north to allow for a bypass around the town of Bradfordton, replacement of the Prairie Creek and Sangamon Valley Trail bridge structures, and signalized intersections at Bradfordton Road and at the Illinois Route 125/97 junction.
The primary purpose in upgrading the Illinois Route 97 facility is to reduce accident rates, increase capacity to meet both current and projected traffic demands, and avert flooding at the Prairie Creek crossing.
Corridor Highlights
The project begins immediately west of Veteran’s Parkway and extends west along Illinois Route 97. All business and residential access from IL 97 will be replaced. New intersections will be constructed at Winch Lane and Emporia Avenue. Five lanes of new pavement with a center turn lane will be added between Winch Lane and Koke Mill Road.
The existing bridge over IL 97 for the Sangamon Valley Trail will be removed and replaced with a new bridge as expeditiously as possible to minimize delays for trail users.
From Koke Mill Road to the west, the remainder of this project will consist of a 4-lane divided expressway. New intersections will be constructed at Koke Mill Road, Hazlett Road, Old Covered Bridge Lane & County Highway 46, and Farmington Cemetery Road. Additional frontage roads and field access are included along the route to maintain access to property owners.
The existing IL 97 roadway will serve as a frontage road for businesses and residents between Old Covered Bridge Lane and Hazlett Road. The existing intersection at Bradfordton Road will be widened with a two-way stop-controlled intersection for east-west traffic.
New 4-way signalized intersections with turn lanes will be constructed at Bradfordton Road and at the junction of IL 125 & IL 97. A free-flowing northbound ramp will be added for traffic proceeding north on IL 97.
The existing bridge and pavement at Prairie Creek will be removed and replaced a couple of hundred feet to the south and about a quarter mile section of Prairie Creek, to the west, will be re-aligned.
The project terminates near Smith Road and tapers back to the existing two-lane highway and IL 125 continues to the west.
Schedule
This project is currently identified in IDOT’s Fiscal Year 2021 – 2026 Multi-Year Program, which is subject to the availability of funds and is anticipated to be constructed under two contracts.
- Contract 1 will construct the expressway from Veteran’s Parkway to Old Covered Bridge Lane & County Highway 46.
- Contract 2 will complete the expressway from Old Covered Bridge Lane & County Highway 46 to west of the Illinois 125/97 junction.
