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East Side Highway - Bloomington/Normal
The McLean County East Side
Highway project seeks to provide a
connecting roadway on the east side of
Bloomington/Normal between I-74 and I-55. The
East Side Highway EA is the next stage of
analysis that follows the East Side Highway
Feasibility Study and Corridor Study. The 2002
Feasibility Study examined the ability to
connect I-55 to I-74 east of Bloomington-Normal.
It predicted that the future urban expansion of
the region will stress the existing roadway
networks, and explored the impacts of providing
a new major roadway facility that would relieve
traffic congestion.
The East Side Highway Corridor
Study began in March 2007 and was completed in
March 2009. The Context Sensitive Solution (CSS)
approach to public involvement was used
throughout the Corridor Study and will continue
through the EA. The East Side Highway Corridor
Study identified a single feasible 500’ wide
corridor that would serve the needs of
anticipated growth on the east side of the
Bloomington-Normal community. This study did not
determine the location of a specific alignment.
The EA is not a refinement of
the Corridor Study’s recommended alternative.
The EA will assess a full range of
transportation improvement alternatives. Some of
the corridors previously studied, in addition to
new corridors, will be examined for compliance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
NEPA requires federal agencies to integrate
socio-economic and environmental values into the
decision making process. Transportation Demand
Strategies, compatibility with transit, support
of alternate modes of transportation, location
of a specific alignment, roadway geometry, and
interchange type will be refined during the EA
study. The Corridor Study considered these
values on a preliminary level only. Upon
completion of the EA, a specific alignment with
centerline and preliminary Right Of Way needs
will be identified.
CSS was started during the Corridor Study in
2007. Prior feasibility studies met with
considerable resistance from the public. CSS
helped the public and the Project Study Group
get a better understanding of the issues. The
extensive public involvement helped the elected
officials be more comfortable with the outcome.
Contact person:
David.Speicher@illinois.gov
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