By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our mobile app
CHERRY VALLEY — Work is underway to replace the Perryville Road bridge over Interstate 39, a project state officials say is the first step of a multiyear effort to rebuild the interstate with more lanes of traffic between Harrison Avenue and Blackhawk Road.
The roughly 60-year-old bridge has a low clearance height that makes it susceptible to hits from large trucks, Gov. JB Pritzker said. One such collision happened in June 2021.
“Illinois travelers have been forced to endure congestion from below on I-39 and street closures from above due to the bridge’s low clearance and susceptibility to bridge strikes,” Pritzker said. “To say the least, the Perryville Road bridge is long overdue for a makeover.”
More news: Poplar Grove farm struck by tornado, causing an estimated $1 million in damages
Pritzker, along with Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman and local state senators and representatives, gathered at Cherry Valley Elementary School on Tuesday to announce the $8 million bridge replacement. The school is on Perryville Road just north of the bridge.
The work marks the start of a $300 million plan to widen and rebuild I-39. The new bridge will be longer and wider to accommodate additional lanes of traffic that will be added to the interstate.
I-39 will be widened to include a third lane and an auxiliary lane in both directions. The interchange at U.S. 20 and Harrison Avenue will also be converted to a diverging-diamond design.
More construction: Repairs are coming to one of Rockford’s busiest and bumpiest roads
The Perryville bridge carries about 8,000 vehicles each day and the interstate below sees more than 52,000 vehicles a day, according to IDOT stats.
“All cargo coming from Minnesota and Wisconsin and the collar counties going south, all have to come through that one intersection,” said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a Republican from Cherry Valley. “It’s a growing area that clearly needs to be rebuilt so that we can move goods and services quicker throughout the state.”
Pritzker said the Rebuild Illinois Infrastructure plan has delivered $150 million for transportation in the greater Rockford area so far with an additional $525 million coming over the next few years.
Some of the other area capital projects funded by the infrastructure plan include the $6.6 million expansion of East State Street from Mid American Drive to Buckley Drive, the $1.5 million resurfacing of Alpine Road and the $12.4 million resurfacing of U.S. 20 from Winnebago to South Main Street. Last fall, IDOT finished the third phase of West State Street, a $6.5 million project that included new lanes of traffic and a recreation path.
More construction: Rebuild begins on ‘one of the worst roads in the entire city’ in Rockford
Pritzker also noted that Rebuild Illinois includes $275 million to bring passenger rail service between Chicago and Rockford. He said that with a nod to state Sen. Steve Stadelman, who he said constantly asks about the rail project.
“Rebuild Illinois is delivering transformational projects that are improving local quality of life and creating economic opportunity across all modes of transportation,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said. “Perryville Road is the catalyst for a multitude of improvements that are going to have a positive impact in the Rockford area not just for now, but for generations to come.”
Perryville Road is now closed between Mill Road and Armer Drive for the bridge replacement. The work is expected to be complete before the end of the year.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas