Kankakee County receives $2.9 million from IDOT to improve County Highway 9 for new Gotion factory

KANKAKEE – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that Kankakee County has been awarded $2.9 million to rebuild and modernize a local road that will help connect to the new Gotion factory planned in Manteno. The grant is the largest ever through IDOT’s Economic Development Program, which works with communities to plan and advance transportation improvements that support projects that create and sustain new jobs. ​

“Under the leadership of Gov. JB Pritzker, IDOT is working more closely than ever with our local partners to get them the resources they need to succeed,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “This grant keeps a vital improvement on track and ensures long-term economic growth and stability for Kankakee County.”

The investment from IDOT will assist the county in the $9.6 million reconstruction of Kankakee County Highway 9 (9000N Road) from just east of U.S. 45/52 to just east of Spruce Street. The project consists of building one lane in each direction with a center turn lane, shoulders and a traffic signal at Spruce Street, which will lead to the new factory entrance. A shared bicycle and pedestrian path will be included as well.

The county will oversee the project, with advance work likely to begin in the fall and construction starting next spring.

In September, Gov. Pritzker announced that Gotion after a nationwide search had picked Manteno for a new, state-of-the-art $2 billion electric vehicle lithium battery manufacturing plant, bringing 2,600 new jobs to the region. Gotion's decision put Illinois on the map as a leading hub for EV manufacturing.

“The road to a clean environment assuredly includes next gen energy storage technologies,” said Kankakee County Board Chairman Andy Wheeler. “But the road to producing these products is still paved with asphalt. Getting 2,600 employees and hundreds of trucks in and out of this facility every day is a very good problem to have. Thanks to the funding from the state of Illinois, we are able to rise and meet this opportunity with a geometry that mitigates long-term traffic impacts.”

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