Jerry Payonk, Project Manager, discussing corridor study with members of the public.

Welcome to the official website for the East Side Highway Corridor Study.

The East Side Highway Corridor Study will involve performing a Transportation Corridor Study and Environmental Impact Study report; ultimately making recommendations for a new roadway facility east of Bloomington-Normal between I-74 to the south and I-55 to the north in McLean County, Illinois.

The proposed study area is approximately 15 miles in length and three miles in width. The study will investigate potential corridors with a goal of identifying a single preliminary corridor measuring 300 to 500 feet in width.

The objectives of the Corridor Study are:

· Reach a corridor consensus amongst the steering committee and project area stakeholders

· Perform accurate costing and benefits analysis

· Produce a compelling argument for funding justification

· Create a rigorous, defendable project purpose and need statement and logical termini discussion

· Create a GIS-based environmental database

· Create an updated Travel Demand Model

The Project Team’s work will also involve development of preliminary geometrics for one highway alignment within each alternative corridor for the purposes of quantifying potential impacts as part of a macro-level environmental analysis.  Based on the preliminary engineering and environmental studies, a preferred corridor will be recommended for use in further detailed design and environmental studies.

 

The previous East Side Highway Feasibility Study can be found at

 http://www.mcplan.org/tran/eastside/ecfs.shtml

 

UPDATE:  The recommended corridor was presented to the Joint Councils at a meeting on September 29, 2008.  To view a meeting summary and presentation from the meeting click here.