I-80 Ridge Road to US Route 30
As one of the country's three coast-to-coast interstates, I-80 through Joliet and Will County carries approximately 80,000 vehicles a day, about 25 percent of which are trucks. Because of the outdated design and capacity constraints, heavy congestion as well as frequent merging and weaving are common. In addition, over 30 bridges along the corridor are in need of full replacement. In order to transform this stretch of I-80 into a modern, safe roadway, the Illinois Department of Transportation conducted a robust outreach program, coordinating with local municipalities and the public at every decision point to develop a reconstruction plan that meets the needs of the communities I-80 serves.
The I-80 reconstruction project includes approximately 16 miles of the interstate and begins near Ridge Road to the west and ends at U.S. 30 to the east. The corridor encompasses three counties (Kendall, Grundy, and Will), and passes through six municipalities (Minooka, Channahon, Shorewood, Rockdale, Joliet, and New Lenox). The road crosses four waterways (DuPage River, Rock Run Creek, Des Plaines River, and Hickory Creek), and includes eight interchanges.
CONCEPT OVERVIEW
& PLANNING
The I-80 reconstruction project was initiated to address condition, safety and operational issues on the interstate. The Illinois Department of Transportation worked closely with local communities as well as and transportation and environmental agencies, and conducted extensive public outreach to develop proposed improvements that meet the needs of the communities it serves while also accommodating anticipated increases in traffic volumes. The study followed federal guidelines outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to identify and evaluate proposed improvements as well as potential impacts.
During the environmental review, extensive public outreach meetings were held to inform stakeholders about the project and gather feedback. In addition, working group meetings consisting of elected officials and community leaders were held, along with coordination meetings with federal, state and local jurisdictions, and regulatory agencies.
IDOT will continue to communicate with stakeholders during the land acquisition, design and construction processes. The outreach could include individual meetings and letters, focused community meetings, and/or updates to the project website. Our goal will be to maximize public participation and provide awareness of the project status moving forward.
Note: IDOT projects typically have three distinct phases. Phase I (or the project Study) consists of developing the project scope, environmental studies and preliminary design of a project. Phase II (Design) consists of refining the design to develop contract plans and land acquisition. Phase III (Construction) consists of the actual construction of the project.