First phase of bypass opened as Illinois Route 34

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The first phase of the Illinois 13 Bypass project is complete and the highway opened to traffic this morning.

The opened section extends from U.S. 45 and ends at Granger Street. The final phase will connect between U.S. Route 45 between Harrisburg and Muddy to Lover's Lane west of Harrisburg, freeing the downtown area of through traffic.

The final phase will be completed once federal funding is made available, Assistant Secretary to Illinois Department of Transportation David Phelps said.

The entire project will cost $17 million and the legislators acquired about $5.5 million initially. A bridge will need to be built for the final phase which will cost about $11 million. Bridge projects north and south of the city on Illinois Route 34 also consumed available money, Phelps said.

"Where was the best place for the first phase where it could make a difference?" Phelps said.

Planners decided the first phase would be of great benefit in that it frees the town of semi tractor-trailer traffic using Illinois Route 34. IDOT Engineer Danny Clayton said 100 semi tractor-trailers pass through the downtown daily. The big trucks sometimes cannot negotiate turns at the intersection when traffic is heavy. The first phase of the bypass is marked as the new Illinois Route 34.

Planners and organizers praised the amount of teamwork that made the project possible, involving federal and state agencies. Phelps, former U.S. Representative, worked to get the money for the project and was then able to make use it as IDOT official with the help of State Rep. Brandon Phelps and State Senator Gary Forby.

"Things like this don't happen overnight," former U.S. Rep. and current Saline County Board Chairman Jim Fowler said.

"Sometimes it takes many, many years and we've been through those many, many years."

-- DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.