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Last updated 11:43 am CT September 02, 2010.

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Expansion On Hold

CARTERVILLE -- Route 13 between Marion and Carterville is one of the busiest roadways in our area. And in hopes of easing traffic IDOT plans to widen that section to six lanes. In the capital bill passed by both the house and senate IDOT would get just more than 100 million dollars for the project. Officials with IDOT say the plan would likely take two to five years to complete and put two to three hundred people to work. But Governor Quinn says he won't sign the bill until he gets a balanced budget from lawmakers.


"There needs to be something done about all the traffic going on but that would take out Lakeside and all these businesses that have been here for quite a long time," said Ian Provence of Carbondale who drive along route 13 everyday.

Provence doesn't think widening route 13 is the answer to traffic problems. But IDOT assistant Secretary David Phelps says in the long run more businesses will come to the area if the project is completed.

"It's not just those jobs in construction that are valuable but it's what has been developed then can attract business and more corporate investment that's the key to infrastructure," said Phelps.

But those jobs won't come as long as the stalemate in Springfield between the governor and lawmakers continues. That leaves IDOT playing a costly waiting game.

"Anytime we delay plans for construction, especially that huge, the dollars keep going up," said Phelps.

Phelps says five years ago when this project was first discussed the price tag was half as much as it is now. But putting nearly 300 people to work and easing traffic is well worth it to him.

"Hopefully creating jobs is the whole idea," said Phelps, "it's good for southern Illinois."

But for Provence, he'd rather the waiting game continue.

"I think we can find a better solution to that," said Phelps.

Phelps says the eventual goal is to make route 13 six lanes all the way to Carbondale. But he says that project will be even larger and will likely not come to fruition for several years.

By Ryan Kruger
rkruger@wsiltv.com

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