ROCKFORD - State Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) released the following statement in response to the announcement of funding for three Rockford-area projects as part of the 2023 Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program:
“We must continue to upgrade and enhance our infrastructure to provide alternative modes of transportation, especially in the Rockford area,” said State Representative Maurice West. “These newly awarded projects will provide more opportunities for area residents to move around our communities in a safe, convenient manner by upgrading bike and pedestrian paths. Plus, these improvements will create good-paying jobs, improve traffic flow, and boost the local economy. I applaud the Pritzker Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation for their continued investment in Northern Illinois.”
The goal of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program is to allocate resources to well-planned projects that provide and support alternate modes of transportation, enhance the transportation system through preservation of visual and cultural resources and improve
the quality of life for members of the communities.
The three Rockford-area projects included in the 2023 Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program include:
Illinois 251 Shared-Use Path and Pedestrian Enhancements Project in Loves Park - Reconstruct sidewalks along both sides of Illinois 251 (North Second Street) and remove existing 8-foot-wide parking lanes to improve traffic flow while providing additional green space and separation from traffic. ($3,000,000)
Highcrest Connection in Rockford - Construct 1.7 miles of 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the south side of Highcrest Road from Spring Creek east to Alpine and 1 mile of bike lanes on residential streets from Alpine north to Spring Brook Road to connect to Spring Brook's on-street bike lanes, which lead to Rock Valley College. ($3,000,000)
Downtown Riverfront Path in Rockford - Preliminary engineering to design sections of a shared-use path to fill gaps in the existing path.($275,000)
Click here to see all 2023 awarded projects or click here for more information about the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.
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