Metro East residents comment on road plans
By NICHOLAS J. C. PISTOR
Special to the Post-Dispatch
02/17/2005
Metro-East area residents voiced opinions on a number of transportation projects at an East-West Gateway Coordinating Council-sponsored public forum Wednesday.
Mary James Hinckle of Troy said she's interested in seeing MetroLink expanded north into Madison County. "Population is just exploding," she said. "I think the whole plan seems like a great idea."
But Belleville resident Ronald Rohn disagreed. "It seems to me that this whole area isn't growing fast enough to necessitate all of this huge transportation spending," Rohn said. "It's a waste of taxpayers' money and time."
The council is exploring three highway development plans in Illinois. One would relocate Illinois Route 3 between Venice and Cahokia to connect with Interstate 70. The second would be the separation of the tri-level Interstate 55-64-70 interchange. The third is the proposed new bridge across the Mississippi River.
It also is looking at four possible transportation corridors: an I-270 corridor that would run from Illinois 111 west to the Mississippi River; a U.S. 50 corridor in Lebanon; a Collinsville bypass that would circle the eastern edge of the city; and the Gateway Connector, a proposed outerbelt that would run north from Columbia to Troy.
East-West Gateway representatives said IDOT would have about a $1.4 billion shortfall if it undertakes the three highway projects along with the four corridor plans. IDOT would have about $4.2 billion in revenue available for projects in the St. Louis region between 2007 and 2030. More than $3.1 billion of that total would go to maintain and rehabilitate roads and bridges.
By NICHOLAS J. C. PISTOR
Special to the Post-Dispatch
02/17/2005
Metro-East area residents voiced opinions on a number of transportation projects at an East-West Gateway Coordinating Council-sponsored public forum Wednesday.
Mary James Hinckle of Troy said she's interested in seeing MetroLink expanded north into Madison County. "Population is just exploding," she said. "I think the whole plan seems like a great idea."
But Belleville resident Ronald Rohn disagreed. "It seems to me that this whole area isn't growing fast enough to necessitate all of this huge transportation spending," Rohn said. "It's a waste of taxpayers' money and time."
The council is exploring three highway development plans in Illinois. One would relocate Illinois Route 3 between Venice and Cahokia to connect with Interstate 70. The second would be the separation of the tri-level Interstate 55-64-70 interchange. The third is the proposed new bridge across the Mississippi River.
It also is looking at four possible transportation corridors: an I-270 corridor that would run from Illinois 111 west to the Mississippi River; a U.S. 50 corridor in Lebanon; a Collinsville bypass that would circle the eastern edge of the city; and the Gateway Connector, a proposed outerbelt that would run north from Columbia to Troy.
East-West Gateway representatives said IDOT would have about a $1.4 billion shortfall if it undertakes the three highway projects along with the four corridor plans. IDOT would have about $4.2 billion in revenue available for projects in the St. Louis region between 2007 and 2030. More than $3.1 billion of that total would go to maintain and rehabilitate roads and bridges.