I-255 rehabilitation work wraps up this weekend in Metro East

Rehabilitation completed ahead of schedule, reopens to traffic Saturday

The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to reopen an improved Interstate 255 between Illinois 15 and Interstate 64 Saturday afternoon, weather permitting.

The work addressed what IDOT called one of the worst roads in the state. The end result was quicker, safer and cheaper because work zones were closed to all traffic for nine months instead of spreading work out over multiple construction seasons.

Finishing a month ahead of its original schedule, the overall project rehabilitated and resurfaced approximately even miles of I-255 from Collinsville Road to Illinois 15 in two sections separated by Interstate 64. The north section, between I-64 and Collinsville Road, was closed in February and reopened in July. A project webpage with maps and fact sheets can be viewed at idot.illinois.gov.

The I-255 work was the first under the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,300 miles of highway and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Year One included approximately $2.7 billion of improvements statewide on 1,706 miles of highway, 128 bridges and 228 additional safety improvements.

Map showing the two segments done sinceFebruary on I-255.