New, improved Weber Road and interchange opened, celebrated in Will County

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New, improved Weber Road and interchange opened, celebrated in Will County

Romeoville, Bolingbrook project improves safety, mobility, quality of life

The Illinois Department of Transportation was joined today by officials and community leaders in Romeoville, Bolingbrook and Will County to celebrate the completion of the new-and-improved Weber Road interchange, part of a $96.7 million investment to improve safety and mobility.

The project furthers Gov. JB Pritzker’s commitment to invest in infrastructure and communities, creating jobs, promoting economic opportunity and enhancing quality of life throughout the Will County region and Illinois.

“After years of construction and tens of millions of dollars, I’m thrilled to announce that improvements to the Weber Road interchange have been completed,” said Governor JB Pritzker.

“This is a win for motorists, bikers, and pedestrians who will see added lanes and modernized traffic signals—simultaneously improving safety and efficiency. Investments, like the one along Weber Road, are what our Rebuild Illinois capital plan is all about: making sure we have good jobs and the roads to get there and building a state where opportunity is just around the corner for everyone, no matter where you’re standing.”

Road construction concrete pavement worker. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

The project’s $75.7 million centerpiece involved widening Weber Road and reconfiguring the interchange with Interstate 55 into a diverging-diamond design. By routing vehicles to the opposite side of Weber Road and eliminating left turns across traffic, the design will help to decrease crashes and improve pedestrian and bicycle access across I-55.

“Ensuring that our transportation infrastructure is well maintained and sufficient to meet and exceed the requirements of industry, businesses and Illinois residents is a fundamental part of our economic policy,” said state Rep. Dee Avelar.

“Illinoisans need and deserve a world-class transportation infrastructure to support and amplify their industriousness and ingenuity. This project, which will improve both quality of life and safety, is part of furthering that goal.”

A third lane was added in each direction to Weber Road between Rodeo Drive/Remington Boulevard and Normantown Road, reducing chronic congestion and providing faster, safer access to the expressway for the 35,000 vehicles that pass through the interchange daily. A $21 million companion project by Will County extended the Weber Road improvements south of Normantown Road to Romeo Road.

“The completed I-55 and Weber Road interchange will greatly improve access to local communities and ease congestion on our busiest highway,” said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant.

“Thank you to our state and local leadership for their commitment to this project over the years. The investment in Will County infrastructure is an investment in our future.”

The project also included modernized traffic signals at Normantown Road, Remington Boulevard/Windham Parkway, Rodeo Drive/Remington Boulevard and the interchange ramps, as well as new LED lighting, improved drainage, raised medians and landscaping on Weber Road.

Sidewalks and a new multiuse path connect to other local trails.

“I’m very excited about the completion of this project. While it took a while to complete and there were challenges along the way, I’m thankful for the partnership between the Village of Bolingbrook, the Village of Romeoville and IDOT,” said Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta.

“The new diverging diamond will accommodate the increase in traffic and improve the safety of the interchange.”

Occasional, intermittent lane closures should continue to be anticipated as miscellaneous items on the project are completed. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

“This was a massive project and, as such, it took a long time to complete. I think we can all agree, however, that the results were well worth the wait,” said Romeoville Mayor John Noak.

“The improvement in traffic flow is astounding and I would like to thank our staff, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Will County, the Village of Bolingbrook, and all other parties who were involved in bringing this project to completion.”

Gov. Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois has advanced several projects in Will County this year, including more than $200 million in improvements along I-55, such as the $48 million resurfacing between Interstate 80 and Weber Road and the $35 million in bridge repairs over Lemont Road and Illinois 53/Joliet Road. This summer, Gov. Pritzker helped to break ground on $93 million in I-55 improvements in Joliet and Shorewood, highlighted by a new, full-access interchange with Illinois 59.

“Under Gov. Pritzker, IDOT is partnering with communities up and down the state to deliver transformational projects just like Weber Road,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman.

“This project solves a longtime issue with safety and congestion, while helping to promote and manage economic activity and job creation in one of the state’s fastest growing areas.”

Statewide, over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 2,500 miles of roads and nearly 10 million square feet of bridges as part of Rebuild Illinois, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Three of Rebuild Illinois included approximately $8.6 billion of improvements statewide on 4,422 miles of highway, 412 bridges and 621 safety improvements.

Included in IDOT’s six-year program are the $1.2 billion reconstruction of I-80 and four other I-55 interchanges: $170.1 million for Airport Road/Lockport Road and at Illinois 126 in Romeoville as well as $140.4 million for Lorenzo Road and Illinois 129 near Braidwood. Also programmed is $86.9 million for reconstruction and widening of U.S. 52 from River Road to Houbolt Road in Joliet and Shorewood.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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