Next Rebuild I-39 open house set for March 5

ROCKFORD – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an open house on Thursday, March 5, to provide updates on the progress of the Rebuild Interstate 39 project through Rockford and Cherry Valley. The event will include guidance on work that will continue this construction season to reconstruct I-39 between Harrison Avenue and U.S. 20 interchanges.

The event will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at CherryVale Mall, 7200 Harrison Ave., Rockford, in Suite F-35 (formerly Vision Works). The entrance is located between Macy’s and Tilted 10.

No formal presentation will be made at this event. IDOT representatives will be available at the open house to explain the Rebuild I-39 project and give updates on future construction and the project schedule. Attendees also can view project displays, handouts, preliminary reports, maps and aerial photography. After the meeting, all exhibits and handouts from the meeting will be posted on the project website, RebuildI39.com.

The location of the meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. For any special accommodation or assistance requests, please contact Roosevelt Moneyham III at RMoneyham@rmchin.com.

Rebuild I-39 is a $302 million, multiyear reconstruction project between the Harrison Avenue interchange and Blackhawk Road. Work began in 2023 with the reconstruction of the I-39/U.S. 20 interchange, which was completed in 2024. Work began in 2024 to convert the Harrison Avenue/U.S. 20 interchange from a cloverleaf to a diverging diamond interchange and was completed in 2025.

Work will begin this spring to expand I-39 from four to six lanes with an accessory lane between U.S. 20 and Harrison Avenue as well as replacing several bridges in the corridor. This project is expected to be completed in 2028. Also, a project to expand U.S. 20 from four to six lanes at the intersection of Mill Road, with the bridges crossing the Kishwaukee River replaced with wider structures, is expected to begin this year and be completed at the end of 2027.

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve 7,107 lane miles of highway and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck as part of Rebuild Illinois, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Six of Rebuild Illinois include almost $20.8 billion of improvements statewide to 21,309 lane miles of highway, 815 bridges and 1,181 additional safety improvements.

For the latest updates on Rebuild I-39 and IDOT District 2, visit RebuildI39.com, follow us on X at @RebuildI39 and @IDOTDistrict2 and on Facebook at Rebuild I-39. Further construction information is available on IDOT's traveler information map, accessed at GettingAroundIllinois.com.