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IDOT Will Be Busy Expanding I-57.

With road construction season ramping up drivers on I-57 in southern Illinois will be seeing a lot of road work.  Carrie Nelson, IDOT District 9 Program Development Engineer says the goal is to make I-57 safer.  IDOT plans to install a cable median barrier in Jefferson county, which should be completed sometime next year.  Nelson says another project in the works, is expanding  I-57 to  six lanes from the I-24 junction south of Marion to Mt. Vernon.  This enhancement is expected to be complete in 2020.  Nelson stresses, that  drivers should be aware of reduced speeds in these construction zones and to put down all electronic devices.

Much of this new construction to make I-57 safer is funded by a 7.6 million dollar Federal Grant, which was awarded in February.  IDOT is providing five million dollars in matching funds for these projects.  U-S Senator Tammy Duckworth says the I-57 improvements will benefit both Illinois and the entire country.   Duckworth stresses that I-57 is very critical since a lot of this commerce  moves on this interstate. Before heading out, you can see where the latest construction delays are by logging onto getting around Illinois DOT com.

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