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Members of the U.S. Route 50 Coalition heard concrete news Friday that the time and money had been put behind making U.S. Route 50 four-laned is paying off.
Sherry Phillips, with the Illinois Department of Transportation, told participants in the group’s first annual golf outing that the consultant for phase I of the project had been announced.
Hutchison Engineering, out of Jacksonville, Ill., has been awarded the contract which includes environmental and design work on a stretch of road that goes from Lawrenceville to near the Wal-Mart Distribution Center west of Olney.
Gary Hutchison, president of Hutchison Engineering, said this part of the work will take roughly five years.
The environmental study is slated to take 30 months and the alignment and design study another 25 months for a total of 54 months, but he added that there could be some additional time added into the total.
Along with Hutchison, CH2MHill out of Chicago will be working on the environmental study and another partner in the project is Lin Engineering out of Chatham, Ill.
The official selection was made Sept. 7 by IDOT.
Hutchison that one of the things that could make the work on Route 50 go quicker than normal is that the right of way for the project is already owned by the state.
Phillips said that at the completion of phase I work will then begin on design. She said it will be done in pieces. Those pieces, typically between four and six miles in length would then be ready for construction once funding becomes available.
She said that currently there are not enough funds to design all of the stretch between Lawrenceville and the Wal-Mart DC site, but that some pieces would be drawn up.
Originally Route 50 was slated to become Interstate 64 in the late 1950s. Those plans were later changed and the road was was pulled further south.
As part of that planning the right of way was purchased in preparation for the building of the four lane road.
Hutchison said that his team would be hosting meetings for public input and working with country and municipal officials along the route.
“We are happy to working in the area on this project and we look forward to bringing the area the best planning and design for the project,” Hutchison said.
Phillips also encouraged residents along the road to pay attention to the project and get involved, if they would like to have their input heard.
“We want people to bring us their concerns early so that we don’t run into issues during the 11th hour,” Phillips said.
Hutchison has been working on projects in the state for 65 years and has been involved recently in work on Illinois Route 29 and U.S. Route 65, both of which included projects expanding a two-lane road into four.
Members of the U.S. Route 50 Coalition heard concrete news Friday that the time and money had been put behind making U.S. Route 50 four-laned is paying off.
Sherry Phillips, with the Illinois Department of Transportation, told participants in the group’s first annual golf outing that the consultant for phase I of the project had been announced.
Hutchison Engineering, out of Jacksonville, Ill., has been awarded the contract which includes environmental and design work on a stretch of road that goes from Lawrenceville to near the Wal-Mart Distribution Center west of Olney.
Gary Hutchison, president of Hutchison Engineering, said this part of the work will take roughly five years.
The environmental study is slated to take 30 months and the alignment and design study another 25 months for a total of 54 months, but he added that there could be some additional time added into the total.
Along with Hutchison, CH2MHill out of Chicago will be working on the environmental study and another partner in the project is Lin Engineering out of Chatham, Ill.
The official selection was made Sept. 7 by IDOT.
Hutchison that one of the things that could make the work on Route 50 go quicker than normal is that the right of way for the project is already owned by the state.
Phillips said that at the completion of phase I work will then begin on design. She said it will be done in pieces. Those pieces, typically between four and six miles in length would then be ready for construction once funding becomes available.
She said that currently there are not enough funds to design all of the stretch between Lawrenceville and the Wal-Mart DC site, but that some pieces would be drawn up.
Originally Route 50 was slated to become Interstate 64 in the late 1950s. Those plans were later changed and the road was was pulled further south.
As part of that planning the right of way was purchased in preparation for the building of the four lane road.
Hutchison said that his team would be hosting meetings for public input and working with country and municipal officials along the route.
“We are happy to working in the area on this project and we look forward to bringing the area the best planning and design for the project,” Hutchison said.
Phillips also encouraged residents along the road to pay attention to the project and get involved, if they would like to have their input heard.
“We want people to bring us their concerns early so that we don’t run into issues during the 11th hour,” Phillips said.
Hutchison has been working on projects in the state for 65 years and has been involved recently in work on Illinois Route 29 and U.S. Route 65, both of which included projects expanding a two-lane road into four.
