DU QUOIN, Ill. (KFVS) - The City of Du Quoin, the Illinois Department of Transportation and project partners celebrated the completion of the U.S. 51 reconstruction project with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, May 14.
The purpose of the project was to resolve a flooding and infrastructure problem that has lasted for more than a decade.
The approximately 4,000-foot stretch of the U.S. 51 between Park Street and Stacy Street received a full pavement replacement, new drainage infrastructure on both sides of the road and new sidewalks along the corridor’s entire length.
The funding package secured by the city includes more than $2.5M from the Delta Regional Authority and an $800K zero-interest loan from IDOT that was later fully forgiven by the State of Illinois. This comes with no direct cost to Du Quoin taxpayers.
Mayor Josh Downs spoke on how the completion marks the end of an issue that affected residents and businesses.
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“This road has been an issue for decades in Du Quoin,” Downs said. “We had people’s basements being flooded, businesses being flooded, and potholes that would literally destroy cars and cost residents thousands of dollars in repairs. It’s something that needed to be done for a long time, and we’re proud to see it finally done — and done right.”
E.T. Simonds Construction completed the reconstruction.
The project also added new sidewalks.
The completed road is engineered for a 40-50 year service life.
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