By Jack Bozikis
PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) – Hundreds of millions of dollars in road, bridge, and public transportation projects are planned across the Peoria area over the next four years as a regional transportation plan nears final approval.
The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission’s Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Committee reviewed the draft Fiscal Year 2027-2030 Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, Wednesday and recommended the plan move forward to the full commission.
The TIP serves as the region’s short-term transportation program and identifies federally funded and regionally significant projects planned within the Peoria-Pekin Metropolitan Planning Area.
Michael Bruner, planning program manager for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, said the document essentially serves as an inventory of federally funded and regionally significant projects expected over the next four years.
The draft includes approximately $639.2 million in funded transportation projects, along with roughly $849.5 million in additional projects listed as illustrative, meaning funding has not yet been secured for them.
Major road and bridge projects
Some of the largest projects outlined in the plan involve heavily traveled corridors across the region.
Among the major projects highlighted in the draft are approximately:
- $78 million for Illinois Route 29 pavement and safety reconstruction
- $65.4 million for Illinois Route 8 and Illinois Route 116 bridge and interchange work
- $60 million in work along U.S. Route 150
- $59.5 million for the Adams Street bridge replacement
Bruner said one of the projects likely to stand out to drivers is the reconstruction of Illinois Route 29 in Peoria Heights, which is scheduled for Fiscal Year 2028. That fiscal year runs from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028.
He also pointed to pavement preservation work planned along War Memorial Drive in Peoria and U.S. Route 150 in East Peoria.
Bruner said most projects included in the TIP will likely begin appearing during the next construction season, although some work could begin as early as this fall.
The state project listings also include numerous pavement resurfacing, bridge replacement, culvert, engineering, and intersection projects across the region.
Projects listed in the packet include work along Illinois routes 6, 8, 9, 29, 40, and 116; U.S. routes 24 and 150; and Interstate 74.
Bruner also pointed to two projects that may be less familiar to the public.
One is a planned intersection improvement and traffic signal along Illinois Route 116 near Junction 26 in the Germantown Hills area.
Another involves U.S. Business 24 and D-Mac Road, where an intersection improvement and traffic signal are also planned.
Bruner described both as safety projects coming to the region.
The hundreds of millions of dollars in illustrative projects are not currently funded.
Bruner said those projects are included because communities would like to see them constructed within the four-year period if additional funding becomes available.
Including projects on the illustrative list can also help communities when applying for grants.
The funded portion of the Transportation Improvement Program must be financially constrained, meaning funding must be identified for projects included in that portion of the plan.
Public transportation investments
The transportation plan also includes millions of dollars in public transit investments.
CityLink-related projects include work involving buses, transit facilities, fare equipment, and other infrastructure.
Projects outlined in regional transportation documents include diesel and hybrid buses, Transit Center rehabilitation, signage and kiosks, farebox and validator upgrades, and improvements to administrative and maintenance facilities.
The broader transportation program includes nearly $17 million for low- and no-emission buses and related facilities, backed by federal grants and Rebuild Illinois funding.
Public input still open
Wednesday’s Technical Committee action was not the final adoption of the plan.
Instead, the committee held a public meeting on the draft and recommended the program move forward to the full Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.
The draft remains open for a 30-day public review and comment period through Oct. 6.
Bruner said public input is important because residents who use the region’s roads every day may experience transportation issues differently than planners.
“They’re the ones that drive the roads every day. They’re the ones that have the experiences out there,” Bruner said.
He said receiving input from people throughout the urbanized area helps planners better understand where problems exist and where improvements may be needed.
The draft is available through the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission’s website, at its office and at public libraries throughout the Peoria-Pekin Metropolitan Planning Area.
The full commission will review public comments before considering adoption.
If those comments result in significant changes to the draft, the revised plan could be returned to the Technical Committee for further review and recommendation.
What happens next?
The full Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is expected to consider adoption of the FY 2027-2030 Transportation Improvement Program at its Oct. 7 meeting.
Bruner said commissioners will first review comments submitted by the public.
If adopted, the plan will then move to the Illinois Department of Transportation and federal transportation agencies for additional review and approval.
Other transportation studies moving forward
The Technical Committee also reviewed proposed Fiscal Year 2027 special transportation studies.
About $130,000 in Metropolitan Planning funds were programmed for the Special Transportation Studies program. Five applications were submitted, and staff recommended moving all five projects forward because sufficient funding was available.
The projects include a $50,000 signal and street lighting inventory in East Peoria, a $180,500 asset management system expansion in Peoria, a $70,000 sidewalk inventory and priority development project in Peoria Heights, a $100,000 highway crossroad culvert asset management program in Tazewell County, and a $40,000 Washington Square access, circulation, and parking study.
The Peoria project is requesting $130,000 in program funding with a $50,500 local contribution. Tazewell County is requesting $40,000 with a $60,000 local contribution, while Washington is requesting $32,000 with an $8,000 local contribution.
Staff recommended the Peoria Heights and Washington projects be completed as staff-led studies. The East Peoria, Tazewell County, and Peoria projects would proceed as consultant-led studies.
The committee also considered public transportation safety performance targets and amendments to the existing FY 2025-2028 Transportation Improvement Program while the new four-year program continues through the approval process.
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