Kankakee, IL – On Monday, State
Representative Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee), met with Republican House Leader
Jim Durkin (R – Western Springs) , the head of the Illinois Department of
Transportation (IDOT), Randy Blankenhorn, Kankakee Mayor Chasity
Wells-Armstrong, and City of Kankakee Engineer Neil Piggush to advocate for
local transportation projects including much needed improvements to the I-57
and IL-17 interchange—Exit 312.
“When I took office in January, this was
one of the first projects I focused on because of the hugely beneficial impact
it will have on Kankakee and Bradley-Bourbonnais businesses and the development
of my entire district,” Rep. Parkhurst said.
The project in question will open up the
312 exit to Kankakee off I-57 to allow for safer and easier truck traffic. The
city of Kankakee requested an upgrade to the interchange well over a decade ago
and the need for improvements lingered and languished in discussions since
2001. The discussions stalled in 2013.
“This exit improvement project will
usher in further economic development to the district,” Rep. Parkhurst
continued. “Today trucks avoid this intersection because of the tight turn
radius, yet this area is ripe for new economic development. Everything is in
place; we just need improved access at the intersection of Routes 57 and 17.
These improvements are important to businesses relocating to our district,
including Hoekstra Transportation and Ricky Rockets Fuel Center.”
Rep. Parkhurst initiated the site
inspection with the Leader Durkin, the head of IDOT, and the City of Kankakee
to continue to push for phase II of this project.
In addition to this interchange, Rep.
Parkhurst is actively negotiating with IDOT on other local transportation
projects.