As if you needed another reason to roll your eyes at the State of Illinois and their lack of a budget, IDOT has announced the halting of all “state-let” projects starting July 1st, the new fiscal year for the State.
As such, the improvements taking place across Champaign, Urbana and Campus as part of the MCORE project (which has been making huge progress) have been halted until a budget has been reached, and IDOT can pay contractors. In the mean time, Green Street between Neil and Wright will open back up to two-way traffic, among other changes.
For more information, check out the press release from the City of Champaign below:
MCORE PROJECT UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO STATE BUDGET STATUS
CHAMPAIGN – Due to the State of Illinois budget impasse, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is shutting down all “state-let” projects, including the Multimodal Corridor Enhancement Project (MCORE). Without a resolution, IDOT loses its ability to pay contractors beginning July 1, 2017. MCORE is a “state-let” project because the federal TIGER grant funding is directed to IDOT, who then becomes the contracting agency on behalf of the MCORE partner agencies. Dave Clark, Champaign’s City Engineer, states “We are following the directions issued by IDOT in regards to suspending work until a budget is passed and IDOT can pay contractors. The project partners and our contractor for the project, Duce Construction, are eager to see a resolution come quickly, so that work may continue.”
By the end of the day on Friday, June 30, the projects will be in the following status:
- Project 1 (Green Street, Urbana) Work on this project will be suspended. Green St. between Wright St. and Goodwin Ave. will remain closed to through traffic. The City of Urbana will reassess any potential street openings pending evaluation next week.
- Project 2 (Green Street, Champaign) Work on this project will be suspended. Barricades and construction materials will be pulled back from Green Street to allow for two-way traffic all the way from Neil St. to Wright St. Two-way traffic has also been re-established on First St. between Healey St. and Daniel St.
All businesses are open. The City of Champaign, City of Urbana, Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Duce Construction collectively express their appreciation for the cooperation and patience of property owners, residents, and visitors of the Campustown area during this important project. Additional updates will be provided when available. For additional information visit www.mcoreproject.com