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CHAMPAIGN — Work on the Interstate 57/Interstate 74 interchange project in northwest Champaign will “ramp” up Monday.
Ken Crawford, project engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said some work on the massive job has been ongoing during the winter, but will begin again in earnest at the beginning of the new month.
“That’s weather-dependent, depending on how wet April will be,” Crawford said.
In addition to work on new ramps, crews will continue to expand I-74 to three lanes in both directions from Prospect Avenue to Duncan Road.
“That will involve completing Stage 1,” Crawford said. “We’ll switch traffic to the inside (lanes) and start paving outside,” with traffic moving more toward the median.
He estimated that work will begin in four to six weeks, weather permitting.
Crawford said work is also in progress on four critical concrete structures on the periphery of the project. Crews began driving pilings for the structures last month and will likely complete that work by the middle of April. Work will continue on the structures and setting of beams.
The ramp work includes completion of soil modification and the start of placement of concrete pavement on six of the ramps.
“During the winter, they continued to set structural steel for the flyover ramps," Crawford said. “They will be completed soon.”
Nightly lane closures have been in effect on I-57 and I-74, and that work is nearly finished.
Crawford said on any given day, there might be 70 to 80 people working on the $91 million project, which is targeted for completion at the end of 2025.
Crawford said the work is like “trying to build a three-dimensional puzzle and keeping mobility through there for the general public.”
Two flyover ramps are included in the new interchange, which is replacing one built in 1965. The flyover ramps — connecting eastbound I-74 to northbound I-57 and westbound I-74 to southbound I-57 — will improve safety and traffic-flow efficiency for travelers. The work involves most of the bridges and embankments.
Under the old system, drivers would have to merge in just ahead of other exiting in the same lane. The revision will see vehicles exit long before other vehicles merge onto the roads. Safety is the major benefit, as it reduces how often vehicles will cross paths.
Other improvements include restoring green spaces with native grass to cut down on future planting; adding LED lighting for improved visibility; and “metalizing” the structural steel to minimize future painting.
Crawford said the project will involve planting three trees for every tree removed.
