IDOT Launches Fayette Avenue Website

The Illinois Department of Transportation has launched a new website to inform the public about the reconstruction and widening of Fayette Avenue (U.S. 40/U.S. 45/Illinois 33) through Effingham. The $27 million project, made possible by the Rebuild Illinois capital program, will increase capacity and improve safety for both motorists and pedestrians while creating good-paying jobs and long-term economic opportunity.

“This website is part of our commitment at IDOT to working with the community during the land acquisition process and while construction is ongoing,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “The Fayette Avenue improvements are long overdue, but could not proceed until funding was identified through Rebuild Illinois. We are thrilled that we are able to make investments that build stronger communities and improve quality of life all across Illinois.”

The new project website, https://idot.click/fayette, shares current information on the project, including the scope of improvements, land acquisition efforts, maps, illustrations, traffic impacts during construction, past study efforts and frequently asked questions and answers. A feedback form also is available for the public to interact with IDOT staff with questions and comments.

The improvements are necessary due to congestion, lack of left-turn lanes and crash history on a critical business and travel corridor that accommodates up to 19,000 vehicles a day. Advance planning wrapped up in 2012, but the project was unable to advance to construction because of a lack of funding.

The project will reconstruct and widen Fayette Avenue from Illini Drive to Long Street, as well as improve safety and drainage. When complete, Fayette Avenue will have two lanes in each direction with a middle turn lane, sidewalks on the north side of the road and a bike and pedestrian path on the south side. Traffic signals will be upgraded at Raney, Henrietta and Maple streets, as well as at Henrietta Street and Grove Avenue and Henrietta Street and Jefferson Avenue.

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Construction will be in two segments. Land acquisition and utility relocation on the first segment, Illini Drive to Banker Street, will begin later this year, with construction tentative to start in the middle years of the IDOT’s current FY21-26 multiyear plan and take two years to complete. After construction is underway on the first segment, the same process will begin on the second segment between Banker and Long streets, requiring another two years of construction to complete.

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Over the next six years, throughout Illinois, 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 and 128 bridges along with 228 additional safety improvements.

For IDOT District 7 updates, follow on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict7 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.