MT. VERNON, IL — The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Monday that the ongoing expansion of Interstate 57 from Mount Vernon to Johnston City highlights a commitment to improve safety, reduce congestion and encourage economic growth throughout the region.

Carrie Nelsen is the District 9 Program Development Engineer with the Illinois Department of Transportation. She says the project will create a better path for the high-traffic area in both directions from Marion to Mt. Vernon.

The project is separated into six segments, representing a total investment of $257.8 million for southern Illinois, with $224 million coming from Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital program.

Nelsen also said engineering has begun on IDOT’s plan to rebuild the I-57/64 and IL-15 interchange in Mt. Vernon. Construction is estimated to begin on that project in 2025.

Five of the six I-57 expansion segments are ongoing or upcoming, with one already completed. Each segment includes widening I-57 to three lanes in each direction and replacing key bridges:

• Milepost 63 to milepost 66 with new structures over Pond Creek, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2022.
• Milepost 67 to milepost 75 with new structures over Big Muddy River, scheduled to start in 2022.
• Milepost 75 to milepost 85 with new structures over Marcum Branch and Gun Creek, scheduled to start in 2024.
• Milepost 85 to milepost 92 with new structures over Dodds Creek, scheduled to start in 2023.
• Milepost 58.6 to milepost 63 widening to three lanes in each direction was completed in fall 2020.
• The reconstruction of the I-57/64/Illinois 15 interchange is scheduled to start in 2025.

In addition, later this year IDOT is embarking on a major renovation of the Trail of Tears rest areas on I-57 in Union County, which includes greatly expanding and enhancing truck parking.