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| IDOT Plans Rt. 34 Bypass Near Biggsville |
It's not everything supporters of expanding U.S. Highway 34 to four lanes between Monmouth and Iowa wanted, but they're celebrating what otherwise is a start.
Officials with the Illinois Department of Transportation announced at West Central High School Monday plans to build a U.S. 34 four-lane bypass essentially taking traffic around the school. The project will cost about $60 million.
The area around the school has been the scene of 65 crashes between 2006 and 2009, one of which was fatal. West Central School Superintendent Ralph Grimm says while it's just the start of what supporters want to see done, it's better than nothing.
"We've advocated for the widening for (Highway) 34 for the five years we've been up here," Grimm said. "To be able to stand up here today and say finally something will happen is great news. To say we're going to create a bypass around this campus is great news."
It's not all smiles. Rushville State Senator John Sullivan says he's happy the project is finally going to start, but not happy it's coming at the expense of funding for another project that’s being delayed due to Mississippi River levee decertification.
"I'm disappointed with the flow action that's taking place in regard to getting the levee certified down in the bottom," Rusvhille State Senator John Sullivan said. "We're not stopping on getting those levees certified again."
The project, paid for with capital construction funds, is expected to begin in November of 2012 and could end in 2014.
(Ralph Grimm, West Central School Superintendent, speaks Monday afternoon outside the district's high school in Biggsville, while Joe Crowe, IDOT District Engineer, stands and listens. Other leaders were also in attendance. WGIL News Story and Photo by Will Stevenson) |
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| 08 17 10 by Newsroom |
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