Illinois Route 3 is a phenomenal asset for the Southwest Illinois region. This four-lane transportation corridor stretches from the McKinley Bridge to Alton, Illinois. It is closely connected to six Class-I railroads, multiple Mississippi River terminals, residential communities, countless employers, and thousands of acres of development-ready sites.
Recognizing the importance Illinois Route 3 plays to our region, the Port is pursuing a planning study that will identify improvements to be made to an 8.5-mile stretch between the McKinley Bridge and Interstate 270. This particular segment of Route 3 serves more than 17,000 vehicles per day and is a Main Street for the communities of Venice, Madison, and Granite City. However, the corridor's condition does not reflect its pivotal role. The roadway lacks identity, is littered with trash and weeds, has a crumbling median and guardrails that are in need of replacement, contains strange, unused road sections, and has a 22-foot wide lane at one location. Speed is also of concern, and numerous bad traffic accidents have occurred due to motorists running red lights or driving well more than the posted speed limit.
In an effort to enhance the roadway’s image for the communities it serves, increase safety for all modes of transportation, and create a stronger sense of identity to the 8.5-mile stretch of roadway from the McKinley Bridge to Interstate 270, the Port is looking to select a top-ranked team with experience in transportation planning, urban design, placemaking, and civil engineering.
Creatively upgrading the image of Route 3 is a prominent requirement of this Study. Accordingly, the Port will be seeking Teams with the following skills:
Experience with large-scale, highway-speed sculptures and other artistic design
Experience with traffic calming measures for a mix of trucks and cars
Experience with corridor planning and placemaking
With the goals of traffic-calming and placemaking, a primary part of the planning study will be the identification of sites for large sculptures to be purchased/placed in quarter-mile increments along the route, as well as the identification of what local theme each sculpture should represent. The study will also identify roadway and wayfinding improvements to be made to promote safety for a mix of cars and semi-trucks and corridor identity. The study will also include renderings, anticipated costs, and potential funding streams. The selected team will be responsible for:
Conducting stakeholder meetings to define the project needs and solicit input
Reviewing traffic data to determine baselines for average traffic volumes and speed
Identifying solutions to be implemented by local communities, agencies, and IDOT
Identifying themes for 28 sculptures to be located along the highway, their location, and providing renderings of proposed sculptures
Identifying corridor needs and the potential for placemaking opportunities
Outlining cost estimates of the proposed improvements, as well as potential grants or funding streams to make the improvements
Interested applicants should submit their proposals by Wednesday, October 25th to cvoelker@americascentralport.com. You can also learn more by visiting the plan-room page by clicking here.