BRADLEY – The intersection of Illinois 50 and Armour Road in the village of Bradley will undergo a major reconstruction project, as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and other community leaders kickstarted the project on Friday.
The $13.8 million project, funded through the Rebuild Illinois program, aims to widen and resurface this crucial intersection in the region, reduce congestion and enhance safety, while promoting economic development and job growth.
Improvements to the intersection will include widening and resurfacing of the intersection, additional dedicated turn lanes, new storm sewers, an updated biking and walking path, sidewalks, new curbs and gutters, improved lighting, modernized traffic signals, and landscaping. The project will also create better access from Armour Road to Pharmaceutical Drive/Arthur Burch Drive, a vital access point for the CSL Behring factory.
The Illinois 50-Armour Road project is part of several road and bridge improvements made possible by Rebuild Illinois, including the $5.9 million replacement of the Armour Road bridge over the Canadian National Railroad in Bourbonnais, the $11.3 million replacement of the Maple Street/Waldron Road bridge over Interstate 57, and the $23.5 million replacement of the I-57 bridges over Grinnell Road and the Norfolk Southern Railroad.
The project will improve access to one of Kankakee County’s largest employers and recently underwent a $1 billion expansion. Â
“This project has a ripple effect that spreads throughout the county, meeting community needs on many levels,” said Governor Pritzker. “It makes Bradley-Bourbonnais a more welcoming place for Kankakee’s largest manufacturing employer while also creating new construction jobs and investing money back into local business.”
Assistant Republican Leader and State Rep. Jackie Haas praised the project, saying, “By making this critical intersection easier and safer to navigate, we will help connect constituents and visitors alike to economic engines of our communities in Kankakee County.”
