3.5 miles of I-255 will be shut down for months in the metro-east. Here’s what we know

Interstate 255 commuters will once again face a months-long closure for roadwork on the metro-east highway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to close 3.5 miles of the highway for six months next year from Illinois 15 to Illinois 157 in St. Clair County as part of an estimated $74.3 million construction project.

To bypass the closed section, motorists could use Illinois 157 where it runs parallel to I-255.

In 2020, the agency shut down sections of the roadway in the metro-east for nine months.

The exact date of the closure in 2025 has not been announced but the agency expects the shut down to begin in February and end in July.

Dawn Johnson, a spokeswoman for IDOT, said Thursday the contract for the project has not yet been awarded.

An IDOT report gives the following reasons why the department prefers to completely close a highway to make repairs instead of just closing lanes while the roadwork is completed:

• It’s safer for motorists and construction workers because it eliminates “significant traffic backups entering a work zone (and) lane shifts for new configurations, thus reducing crashes and driver confusion.”
• It will save more than $10 million.
• It allows the work to be completed in one construction season instead of over two years.

“The project will restore the road and bridges to a smooth and safe condition for motorists and will support future investment in the region,” the report states.

The I-255 improvements include:

• Patching and resurfacing the highway lanes, ramps and shoulders.
• Bridge, drainage and sign truss repairs.
• Concrete barrier wall, lighting and guardrail replacement.

The 2020 project repaired a seven-mile stretch of the highway from Collinsville Road in southern Madison County to Illinois 15 in St. Clair County. This project cost $67 million.