Federal Funding Secured for Efforts to Reduce Eastern Will County Truck Congestion

WILL COUNTY – U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant have announced the approval of $500,000 in federal appropriations for the Eastern Will County Truck Routing Project. The project, aimed at reducing congestion in Eastern Will County, is part of the Fiscal Year 2024 government appropriations packaged approved by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden.

"I am proud to secure this critical infrastructure funding for Eastern Will County," said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. "I look forward to continuing to work with Will County to reduce traffic times, improve safety, and support our growing logistics industry."

The Eastern Will County Truck Routing Project will design and construct highway improvements along the Crete-Monee Corridor to redirect freight traffic away from residential areas. The project is aimed at minimizing local congestion and increasing roadway safety.

“This funding will ensure that this critical project can move forward, reducing congestion and improving roadway safety throughout Eastern Will County,” said County Executive Bertino-Tarrant. “This long-planned project will redirect truck traffic towards a dedicated freight corridor and away from local neighborhoods. I greatly appreciate Congresswoman Kelly’s support of this project and for her continued advocacy for Will County residents.”

The project resulted from a Will County Division of Transportation study aimed at identifying suitable truck routing option in Eastern Will County between IL 50 on the West and IL 394/IL 1 on the east. The study identified that the county road network has gaps in continuous east-west movement in Eastern Will County, which has caused an increased level of truck traffic on local roads during a period of rapid regional economic development.

The multi-year study identified Crete-Monee Road as the ideal corridor for improvements as it relates to freight movements. The County is moving forward on next steps, which will continue to engage residents and local officials on a specific route.