IDOT in 2025: Rebuilding Illinois continues to improve mobility, safety and quality of life

SPRINGFIELD – Under the leadership of Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Transportation continued to revitalize and modernize transportation and mobility across the state in 2025. Made possible by the governor’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, projects transformed highways, transit, railroads, airports, waterways and active transportation everywhere Illinois residents call home, creating safer and more reliable travel options while boosting economic opportunity for generations to come.

“From launching the largest infrastructure program in state history to spearheading transformational projects, Illinois is making landmark investments in our present and future – creating good-paying jobs and paving the way toward an Illinois that is built to last,” said Gov. ​ Pritzker. “Whether it’s on a repaved road, over a repaired bridge, or in a brand-new bike lane, IDOT is working to get you where you’re going smoothly and safely while supporting community revitalization in every corner of the state.”

Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing $45 billion in the state's aging infrastructure, creating jobs and building stronger communities. Accomplishments through Year Six include almost $20.8 billion of improvements statewide to 21,309 lane miles of highway, 815 bridges and 1,181 additional safety improvements, ranging from routine maintenance projects and minor resurfacings to extensive interstate and bridge reconstructions.

A 2025 highlight was the October release of the largest multi-year construction program in state history: $50.6 billion over six years, eclipsing the previous record of $41.4 billion in 2024. Covering fiscal years 2026 to 2031, the multi-year program is both comprehensive and multimodal, touching every Illinois county.

“The past year was another landmark one for investing in people and communities up and down Illinois,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “The projects and initiatives today are making our state a better place to raise a family, build a career and do business for tomorrow.”

Highways and bridges

The $1.3 billion Interstate 80 project in Will County, a Rebuild Illinois cornerstone, reached major milestones in 2025. Work is completed on the section from Ridge Road in Minooka to the DuPage River bridge. Also, traffic was shifted to new pavement between U.S. 30 and Rowell Avenue as well as from Wheeler Avenue to the DuPage River. Progress also was made in rebuilding the Larkin Avenue (Illinois 7) and Briggs Street interchanges.

By the end of 2026, the sections from Ridge Road to Wheeler Avenue and from Richards Street to U.S. 30 will wrap up, with three lanes open in each direction from Ridge Road to Larkin Avenue and from Richards Street to U.S. 30. Interchange improvements at I-55, Larkin Avenue and Briggs Street will be done and open to traffic. ​

The last three major pieces to be rebuilt, the Center Street interchange, the U.S. 52/Illinois 53 (Chicago Street) interchange and the twin bridges over the Des Plaines River are scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with the entire I-80 corridor scheduled for completion at the end of 2028.

In Chicago, a three-year, $169 million rehabilitation project of the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) wrapped up in October with the completion of the outbound lanes a month ahead of schedule. The project involved 36 rebuilt and repainted bridges, pavement rehabilitation, a new electronic gate system to control traffic through the express lanes, modernized LED lights, landscaping and more.

This year saw the opening of two new diverging diamond interchanges at I-270 and Illinois 111 in Madison County in the Metro East and at I-39 and U.S. 20/Harrison Avenue in Cherry Valley near Rockford, the state’s seventh and eighth, respectively. The interchanges offer improved safety by reducing potential collision points and improving access to and from the interstate.

The old eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge between Peoria and East Peoria went out with a bang with several planned implosions last spring, the largest being the main truss in April. The new eastbound span opened last year, with additional work continuing.

In Champaign, a $251.8 million project to reconstruct the I-57/74 interchange opened its two flyover ramps: westbound I-74 to southbound I-57 in August and eastbound I-74 to northbound I-57 in November. The project is expected to be mostly completed by the end of 2026, with final striping and landscaping continuing into 2027.

The expansion of I-57 between West Frankfort and Benton in Franklin County wrapped up this summer, meaning 27 miles of six-lane highway has been completed in southern Illinois. Work continues on the next segments: 8 miles between Marion and I-24 and nearly 17 miles in the Rend Lake area.

After successfully shutting down a section of I-255 from I-55/70 to I-64 in the Metro East in early 2020 for a rehabilitation project, IDOT went for an encore last spring. I-255 was closed between I-64 and Illinois 15 for a $65.3 million project that was completed six weeks ahead of schedule. The project also saved $10 million and most importantly, kept workers safe.

The state of trails

The 15-mile Lincoln Trail between Pana and Taylorville is complete after the replacement of an old railroad bridge that was shut down in 2015 because of safety concerns. Construction was completed in April and was funded in part by an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant administered by IDOT.

The city of Dixon began Project ROCK (Revitalizing Opportunities for the Community and Kids) in April. The $14 million project, led by Dixon with assistance from IDOT, is the next phase of pedestrian paths through this city of more than 15,000 and will expand recreation and mobility options for residents and visitors. An $11.9 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant funded much of the project.

Construction is underway on a 4.5-mile extension of the Route 66 Trail in McLean County. Made possible by a $3.2 million grant through ITEP, the project will extend the trail 4.5 miles from McLean to Funks Grove and provide a new link to Bloomington-Normal’s Constitution Trail.

The new 2.4-mile Saluki Greenway in Carbondale opened in November to provide access to shopping, medical care and recreation. Supported through ITEP, the project includes a fully separated walking and biking route, painted crosswalks and signalized crossings at high-traffic intersections along Illinois 13 between Wood Road and Old Route 13.

Multimodalism at work

The Consolidated Vehicle Procurement program is investing more than $57 million in local communities this year, allowing them to acquire paratransit vehicles for transit agencies and nonprofits. The program is in the process of delivering more than 500 vehicles to 110 providers. IDOT's consolidated procurement of vehicles ensures uniformity of meeting specifications, adds efficiency and volume cost savings to the process, and takes the burden off transit providers, particularly for smaller agencies and nonprofits. 

The Decatur Public Transit System launched Decatur Moves, a microtransit service designed to make getting around Decatur and Forsyth more affordable and accessible. The service is supported by IDOT through the Consolidated Vehicle Program and its downstate operating assistance program.

In October, IDOT announced six airports as Airports of the Year, celebrating the accomplishments of aviation in Illinois. Rockford International Airport won for Primary Airport of the Year.

The Shawneetown Regional Port District broke ground in August on a new fertilizer distribution center along the Ohio River. Made possible by $12.6 million from Rebuild Illinois, the project will make local agriculture operations more efficient by reducing the traveling distance to the next closest port, resulting in improved safety as well as less wear and tear on local roads.

Initiatives and recognition

IDOT announced Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program awards totaling $139.2 million to expand local travel options and enhance quality of life in communities statewide. In a whirlwind May announcement spotlighting three projects in one day, the department joined local officials, community leaders and transportation stakeholders in Evanston to celebrate $3 million for Chicago Avenue bike and pedestrian improvements, in Savoy for $1.3 million to improve the Prairie Fields path and in Granite City to provide $1.9 million to help close a gap in the regional path and trail system. 

Construction is underway on a new solar energy site that will supply power to an adjacent IDOT storage facility along I-64 in Lebanon. The $617,700 project is part of a pilot effort to identify underutilized IDOT property that can be used to generate alternative energy, resulting in a reduction in carbon emissions and long-term savings for the public.

The third official notice of funding opportunity through the Illinois National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which will provide approximately $65.6 million for the construction of charging stations across the state, was announced in December. The latest opportunity builds on the first two rounds, which awarded funding for 62 charging stations along Illinois interstates to help meet Gov. JB Pritzker’s goal to have 1 million electric vehicles on Illinois roads by 2030.

In Cook and the collar counties, a concerted effort by IDOT to protect the environment and keep roadsides free of litter saw crews log 109,364 hours, collecting 100,484 bags of trash weighing 1,005 tons. The cost: $7.4 million in labor, equipment and materials, another reminder why the department continues to ask the public’s help to “Put a Lid on Litter.” Graffiti removal required another 29,157 hours at a cost of $2.2 million. ​

Statewide, volunteer groups and civic organizations led the charge on the Adopt-A-Highway program to arrange regular pickups of litter. Over the past year, 771 hours were recorded by 2,019 volunteers to collect 1,814 bags of trash. The program accepted 51 applications to join in 2025, pushing the number of participants in Adopt-A-Highway to 1,296.

Springfield’s Jefferson and Madison Street underpasses were a Top 12 finalist for the grand prize in the America’s Transportation Awards, the top honor for state departments of transportation. The project was recognized for improving safety, mobility and quality of life in the heart of the capital city. Last year marked the sixth time in the past eight years that an Illinois project was nominated for the country’s project of the year.

IDOT’s podcast “Take the Exit” launched in May to explore the individuals, projects and stories shaping transportation in Illinois. New episodes of “Take the Exit” will be released monthly.

Commitment to diversity

On Feb. 26 and 27, the department held another successful Today’s Challenge, Tomorrow’s Reward conference to provide the tools and resources that help firms participate on state projects through the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. This year’s conference shattered previous attendance records, drawing 454 attendees representing a variety of prime contractors and subcontractors.

The department closed out the year working with its partners at the Chicago Transit Authority, Pace, Metra and the city of Chicago to recertify firms in the DBE program in the wake of new federal guidelines. While IDOT is required to make changes, it does not reflect a change in the long-standing commitment to bring equity, inclusion and opportunity on state projects as a way to invest in people and uplift communities up and down the state.

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