Design and Construction Report staff writer
Springfield Illinois is entering a major construction season with a wide range of infrastructure projects from large-scale rail enhancements to neighborhood resurfacing. Here’s a look at the most projects shaping Springfield’s roadwork calendar.
The Springfield Rail Improvement Project (SRIP) is the largest initiative currently underway, backed by over $150 million in federal funding. Completion is targeted for August 2027. Key construction activities for this year include:
- Building a new underpass at North Grand Avenue between Ninth and 11th Streets
- Constructing an overpass between 11th and 19th Streets
- Continuing railroad track installation for the new Union Pacific corridor between Ridgley Avenue and Stanford Avenue
This project will include extensive bridge and rail work, site grading, and coordination between local and federal crews, providing a steady flow of jobs for skilled trades.
Interstate 55 Improvements include:
- Rail Splitter Rest Areas: Welcome centers at mile markers 102 (northbound) and 104 (southbound) are being rebuilt. Work began in 2023 and will continue through summer 2026. Total cost: $27 million.
- Sangamon River Bridge Widening: South of the Sherman interchange, this $30 million project involves widening the bridges to add northbound and southbound lanes. Two lanes of traffic in each direction will remain open using shoulder lanes. Intermittent closures are expected throughout the summer. A broader lane expansion of I-55 is scheduled to begin in 2028 and finish by 2030.
Local projects are focused on resurfacing, drainage improvements and ADA compliance. They include:
- North Dirksen Parkway (Peoria Road to Northfield Drive): $5.5 million project including resurfacing, updated traffic signals, and ADA upgrades. Southbound traffic will close first, followed by northbound. Expected completion: early August.
- Veterans Parkway (Greenbriar Drive to Prairie Crossing Drive): $8.9 million resurfacing project with nighttime lane closures and turning restrictions. One lane will remain open in each direction. Scheduled completion: fall 2024.
- Fifth Street (Spruce to Ash): $5.4 million in pavement reconstruction, ADA improvements, and a new traffic signal. At least one lane will stay open throughout the work. Expected completion: fall 2024.
- Wabash Avenue (West of Robbins Road to West of MacArthur Boulevard): $2.8 million resurfacing project with nighttime lane closures. One lane will remain open each way. Work begins late summer and finishes in the fall.
- Ninth Street and Peoria Road (South of Sangamon Avenue to North of Madison Street): $2.7 million resurfacing with ADA and parking lane upgrades. One lane of traffic will stay open in each direction. Completion expected in the fall.
- Adloff Lane (Bel Aire Drive to Villanova Drive): $1.4 million reconstruction project with drainage and asphalt upgrades.
- Wheeler Avenue (Adams Street to Cook Street): $1.4 million project replacing curbs and gutters to improve drainage.
- Lenhart Road (Iles Avenue to city limits): $1.4 million project converting the road to asphalt and upgrading drainage systems.
Springfield is also conducting routine street maintenance, including milling and overlay work in key areas:
- Downtown streets: Washington (Sixth to Ninth), Seventh (Madison to Cook), and potentially Monroe
- 11th Street: From Madison to Reynolds and from Cook to Jefferson
These projects aim to extend pavement life and enhance driving conditions on some of the city’s most traveled corridors.
Chief City Engineer Nate Bottom says the city invests approximately $13 million annually on preventative maintenance, such as overlays, crack sealing, patching, and brick street repairs.
“Every dollar spent on preventative maintenance saves $10 in reactive maintenance,” Bottom said. “Our goal is to apply the right fixes at the right time to maximize the value of every tax dollar.”
