For those of you interested in continued traffic improvements here in Champaign-Urbana, CUMTD (Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District) has announced some upgrades coming to Campustown in the Spring as part of a $44 million MCORE program in collaboration with the City of Champaign, City of Urbana and the University of Illinois.
As of right now, the project is set to start in early March, but that all depends on the weather. Find a map of affected areas below, as well as the full press release:
MCORE Work to Start this Spring on Green and White Streets
The transformative $44 Million Multimodal Corridor Enhancement (MCORE) Project will start improving mobility in the core of our community when work begins this spring. Project partners (the City of Champaign, City of Urbana, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), in coordination with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), awarded construction contracts for Projects 1, 2, and 3 to Duce Construction Company (Champaign, IL) in December. Construction on Green, White, and Wright Streets is tentatively scheduled to proceed in early March, 2017, weather permitting.
The scale of this infrastructure improvement project on key corridors will have significant vehicular and pedestrian traffic impacts including detours and street and sidewalk closures during construction. About one week before construction begins, message boards will be placed in highly visible locations to help alert and notify the public. As MCORE work gets underway, motorists and bicyclists are encouraged to slow down, exercise caution, and obey all traffic control signs and devices when traveling through the general construction area. MTD bus routes will be rerouted as necessary and bus stops may be temporarily relocated. As work is scheduled, up-to-date information will be available at www.cumtd.com.
The MCORE Project will improve access for all modes of transportation in critical campus and neighboring areas including Green Street, Armory Avenue, White Street, and Wright Street. The $44 Million MCORE Project is funded in part by a $15.7 Million Federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
New streetscape improvements, a transit boarding island on Green Street, reconfigured Illini Union vehicle entrance and parking, all-way pedestrian crossings, and protected bicycle lanes are several features that will enhance critical linkages from both downtowns to Campustown in the core of our community.
Projects 1, 2, and 3 are expected to be completed by the end of 2018. See a map of the project areas below or at www.mcoreproject.com. The final project designs include careful consideration of feedback received from stakeholder meetings and community outreach, web form submissions, and surveys from the MCORE Project Open House in May 2015.
All Campustown businesses will continue to be open and reachable throughout the entire project. Stay informed on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MCORECU), Twitter (@MCOREproject), and email subscription (www.mcoreproject.com).
MCORE partners would like to thank you for your cooperation and patience as this important project gets underway.
Contact Information: Kris Koester, Public Information Officer, City of Champaign Public Works Department, 217.403.4700