Office of the County Engineer

Madison County Highway Department

7037 Marine Road
Edwardsville IL 62025

March 31, 2003

Project name and location: This project is called “Crosstown Road” and is located entirely within the Village limits of Godfrey.

II. Description: The proposed project is the construction of a highway on new alignment to create a cross town route across Godfrey, Illinois from Illinois Route 3 on the south to US 67/Illinois Route 111 on the north. The southerly segment of the new highway from Illinois Route 3 to Pierce Lane will be a 2 lane (24 ft.) concrete pavement with 10-foot wide bituminous shoulders and open drainage ditches, and it will include the construction of a bridge across Rocky Fork Creek. The northerly segment of the new highway from Pierce Lane to US 67/Illinois Route 111 will be a 3 lane (36 ft.) concrete pavement with a middle bi-directional turning lane, concrete curb and gutter, and storm sewers. The maximum grade on the new highway will be 4%, which will accommodate future truck traffic. Traffic signals will be installed at each end of the proposed highway.

III. Need: The Village of Godfrey has developed primarily along two State highways Illinois Route 3 in an east-west direction and US 67/Illinois Route 111 in a north-south direction. These two highways are already congested, and the connection of US 67/Illinois Route 111 to Illinois Route 255 will add to the congestion. The proposed highway will provide an alternative cross town route across Godfrey in addition to the existing State highways, and it will relieve congestion on Illinois Route 3, US 67, and Illinois Route 111. A new fire station is planned along the south side of Crosstown Road near US 67/Illinois Route 111, and the existing Sheriff substation is already located along the north side of the Crosstown Road near US 67/Illinois Route 111. Emergency response times in the Village of Godfrey will be reduced by the construction of the Crosstown Road. The proposed Crosstown Road has been included in Godfrey’s economic development Town Center concept, which is a planned commercial and residential development north of Airport Road between Pierce Lane on the west and US 67/Illinois Route 111 on the east. The proposed Crosstown Road will bisect this planned development and provide improved vehicular access to the site. The proposed crosstown route has been designed with the environmental and open-space issues in mind that have been expressed by concerned Godfrey residents (see letter attached to hard copy).

IV. Estimated cost: The total cost of this project is approximately $19,655,000 in 2002 dollars.

V. Regional significance: This project has national and regional significance due to its connection to the area’s existing and future transportation network. The southerly terminus of the project will be at the existing “T” intersection of Illinois Route 3 and Clifton Terrace Road (Madison County Highway 16). Clifton Terrace Road extends southerly from Illinois Route 3 to the Great River Road adjacent to the Mississippi River, which is a federally designated Scenic Byway. The future southerly extension of the Crosstown Road also will connect to the Great River Road. The northerly terminus of the project will be at the existing “T” intersection of US 67 and Illinois Route 111. These two highways will be improved by IDOT to connect to the future extension of Illinois Route 255, which is the northerly extension of Federal Aid Interstate Route 255. The proposed project also has national and regional significance of a historical/sociological nature because it will cross the route of the Underground Railroad used by slaves in the 1800’s to travel from the south to the north.

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Project name and location: This project is called Governors’ Parkway and is an east-west cross-town road located mostly inside the City of Edwardsville.

II. Description: This project is a 3 lane (middle bi-directional turning lane) concrete road with ten foot stabilized shoulders. This road will start at Illinois Route 143 (1/4 mile West of 1-55) and proceed Westerly thru Edwardsville to Illinois Route 159. It will start again at Relocated Illinois Route 159 and proceed Westerly to termination at Illinois Route 157 (at the entrance to Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville.)

III. Need: Edwardsville and the immediate area has exploded with economic and residential development in the last decade and the future shows no let-up. Traffic congestion both in the North-South and especially in the East-West corridors is extremely bad. This project will provide needed access for development along the Illinois 159 corridor as well as relieve congestion from Center Grove Road which is the only East-West road to connect Illinois 159 and 157 in the Southern part of the City. A forty-plus-acre shopping mall will be constructed in the 159 corridor. Edwardsville High School and Metro East Lutheran High School will be served by this road when constructed. And as stated earlier SIDE will also be served.

IV. Estimated cost: The total cost of this project is approximately $15,415,000 in 2002 dollars.

V. Regional significance: This project is a rejuvenated IDOT project. DOT started this project in the early sixties and it was to be the vehicle to get people from 1-55 and the Eastern part of Madison County to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. DOT put this project on the shelf but kept the previously purchased right-of-way in tact. Edwardsville and Glen Carbon are expanding so rapidly to the East that Madison County stepped in to become the lead agency due to the large cost factor to construct this road. Once again this road will be a most needed conduit for Eastern Madison County and 1-55 traffic to get to SIUE.