WASHINGTON, Ill. – There’s a new way for people in Washington to get around the city.
City leaders cut the ribbon Tuesday morning on the expansion of Freedom Parkway. The newly constructed road connects Cummings Lane and McCluggage Road.
The project took nearly a year to complete at a cost of around $6.5 million, with the city receiving around $2.1 million in grant funding from the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.
Washington Mayor Gary Manier says talks about making the road a possibility started nearly 20 years ago.
“Obviously, for our residents coming to and from, making shopping easier. Plus it’s going to cut on some of the traffic on McCluggage Road. It doesn’t change things, because they’re still going to go by the same stores, they’re going to be able to get there a lot quicker, and more safe,” Manier said.
The city says initial discussions started for the expanded Freedom Parkway in 2005 when the Walmart was built in the area. The project picked up steam again in 2012 when infrastructure improvements occurred in the area. The addition of M4 Steel and Core & Main added further motivation to build the extension.
In addition to the newly built road, the project also added water and sewer lines along the road, as well as a bike and walking path.
“I think this bike path has been used already quite a bit by the residents, even before the project was open. So this does give a lot of residents a chance to get to Walmart now on foot, or via bike, and I think it’s just going to be a great thing,” said Washington City Engineer Dennis Carr.
Manier says the new parkway can also be an economic driver for the city of Washington, and can more easily encourage people to shop at the Walmart and Menard’s plazas, instead of driving into Peoria. He says, in turn, that can increase tax revenues for the city.
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