Bureau and LaSalle Counties are slated to receive a combined total of $65.1 million in infrastructure enhancements. This funding, part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s multi-year program, aligns with Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic $40.99 billion infrastructure plan, setting a precedent for comprehensive development across Illinois.
Bureau County: Diverse Infrastructure Projects
Bureau County’s allocation of $45.6 million will fuel 11 diverse construction projects beginning in 2024, signifying a substantial upgrade to the county’s infrastructure.
Key projects include extensive roadway overlays on Interstate 80 and crucial bridge replacements on Interstate 180, with combined costs surpassing $17 million.
Among those projects, South Main Street at Peru Street in Princeton is slated for $60,000 in safety improvements, $843,000 for intersection improvement and $30,000 for construction engineering.
Shaw Local News reports that the largest project in Bureau County is scheduled for Interstate 80. At a cost of $14 million, 5.26 miles of roadway will be overlaid from 1 mile west of Route 89 to 0.7 miles west of Route 251 in La Salle County.
Other infrastructure projects in Bureau County include:
- $6.9 million for the bridge replacement on Interstate 180 southbound over Bureau Creek; $7.5 million for a bridge replacement on Interstate 180 northbound over Bureau Creek.
- $3.4 million for a bridge superstructure replacement on Interstate 180 southbound over the Tiskilwa Bottom Road, 1.4 miles south of Route 26; $3.4 million for another bridge superstructure replacement on Interstate 180 northbound over the Tiskilwa Bottom Road, 1.4 miles south of Route 26.
- $50,000 for railroad engineering and $60,000 for crack and joint sealing at the Burlington Northern Railroad at Buda to the Stark County line.
- $3.4 million for 4.36 miles of designed overlay on Route 92 from 0.1 mile east of Route 40 to Walnut.
- $3.9 million for 5.02 miles of designed overlay for the Tiskilwa spur from 0.7 miles north of Lovers Lane Road in Princeton to 0.3 miles south of 2075 N Road.
- $350,000 for a bridge replacement on 2500 E Road at Trib Masters Creek, 4 miles west of La Moille, plus $14,000 for engineering.
- $350,000 for a bridge replacement on 2500 N Road at Masters Creek, 3 miles southeast of Ohio, Illinois, plus $14,000 for engineering.
- $1 million for 3.5 miles of overlay on County Highway 8 (Wyanet-Walnut Road/Wyanet Road) from the Lee County line to Route 92 on Wyanet-Walnut Road, then from Walnut city limits to County Highway 22 on Wyanet Road.
- $350,000 for a bridge replacement on County Highway 12 at East Bureau Creek, 2 miles west of Arlington, plus $14,000 for engineering.
LaSalle County - Infrastructure Projects
La Salle County will see more than $19.5 million in construction projects in 2024, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s multi-year program.
The largest project on slate in La Salle County is a $14 million designed overlay of 5.26 miles of Interstate 80 from a mile west of Route 89 to 0.7 miles west of Route 251. This project encompasses Interstate 80 through Bureau County as well.
Other projects for 2024 include:
- $2.6 million for designed overlay, new shoulders and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements on 2.35 miles of the Earlville spur from U.S. 34 west of the railroad to U.S. 34 0.2 miles east of Rave Road.
- $2.42 million for reconstruction of the pavement of 0.69 miles of Plank Road south of Ed Urban Drive to 0.1 mile north of Midtown Road in Peru.
- $494,000 for a rehabilitation of the 2.84 miles of pavement on County Highway 41 (also east 1351st Road) from the DeKalb County line to Brown Street.
- $30,000 of railroad engineering for pavement reconstruction on Route 170 from U.S. 6 to south of South Street in Seneca.
There are dozens more projects scheduled for 2025-2029 in La Salle County, including $35 million resurfacing of 14.7 miles of of Interstate 39 from the Marshall County line to the Lincoln Memorial Bridge over the Illinois River. The project includes 0.6 miles of reconstruction of a bridge just north of Route 18 at Sandy Creek.
There is also a $26 million project that is slated for 2025-2029 to replace the Route 23 bridge in Ottawa over the Illinois River. Land acquisition, utility adjustments and construction engineering are among the items listed in the cost. The project was approved with Illinois Special Bridge Program funding.
The massive infrastructure investment in Bureau and LaSalle Counties represents a golden opportunity for the commercial construction sector. These projects are not just about improving roads and bridges; they are about reshaping the region’s economic landscape through strategic construction initiatives.
