ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Unveiling Illinois’ largest construction program to date, Governor J.B. Pritzker travels to Springfield Friday morning to detail the work that will be done on the state’s roads.
Rockfords region, district 2, will receive $1.7 billion dollars in funding over the next 6 years.
“There are too many projects to name today, but each one is anchored in the goal of enhancing the lives of Illinoisians,” said Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
$40 billion dollars is a huge receipt, but J.B. Pritzker says it’s necessary for fixing Illinois’ roads, bridges, runways and waterways.
“Anytime that we’re improving our infrastructure in this county is a great thing for us. It’s for safety reasons, it’s for accessibility reasons, it’s transportation reasons, connectivity reasons. So any time we get state dollars, we welcome that,” said Winnebago County Board Chairperson Joseph Chiarelli.
The Illinois Department of Transportation estimates the average collective travel distance for district 2 is 10.1 million miles every day. Governor Pritzker says these restorations will help improve quality of life for Illinoisans.
“At it’s core, rebuild Illinois is about what matters most, and that’s our people. and together we are building an Illinois that will outlast all of us leaving a better and more prosperous future for generations to come,” said Governor Pritzker.
Winnebago County Board Chairperson Joseph Chiarelli is excited for driving improvements, saying safety and accessibility are the most important qualities to him while construction begins on Illinois’ infrastructure.
“Very excited about this and we have a lot of needs in our community and in our county, as far as our transportation needs and our road system our bridges our water system. So, anytime we get state help, this is more than welcome,” said Chiarelli.
A $286 million dollar bridge replacement and reconstruction will be the largest project coming to Winnebago county in the future, fixing 6.4 miles on I-39, US-20 and Harrison Avenue.
The new project is part of the Rebuild Illinois plan, which has already improved 5,339 miles of road, 533 bridges and making 762 safety adjustments since 2019.
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