By Stephen Nelson
Peotone will be getting a second I-57 interchange at Eagle Lake Road as part of the multi-year plan under the Rebuild Illinois program. One hundred fifty million dollars, of a total of $1.4 billion earmarked for projects in the 40th District during the next six years, will be spent on the new exit. In a press release, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D) said, “To meet the demands of the present and the future, it is important we are maintaining our roads and bridges. The 40th District will see much needed roadway improvements in the coming years that will be a win-win for everyone.”

Some of the most vital projects coming to the area include:

  • More than $50.5 million in miscellaneous improvements along Illinois 53
  • Preservation of pavements in Chicago Heights at U.S. 30 and 14th Street
  • Interchange reconstruction and bridge replacement on I-57 at U.S. 45/52 in Kankakee

 The projects invest in all modes of transportation, including roads and bridges, aviation, transit, freight and passenger rail, waterways, as well as bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

“I want to ensure our district stays connected, and there’s no better way for that to happen than significant improvements in infrastructure,” said Joyce “Not only are safer roads underway, but so are more job opportunities and increased economic development.”

Work on the new Peotone exit and the reconstruction of I-57, exit 308, in Kankakee will begin in 2025.

Local projects slated for next year include: A bridge replacement near Union Hill at Horse Creek in Kankakee County, with $2,150,000 of state money to be spent there; $500,000 for a pavement overlay project on Illinois 113 from I-55 to Illinois Rt. 53, covering 2.7 miles next year; a bridge deck overlay and bridge joint replacement project costing $550,000, done in 2024, on Old Chicago Road at Forked Creek a half mile north of Manteno Road; and $994,000, spent in 2024, for a bridge replacement project on Kankakee Street at Forked Creek in Wilmington.