A $252 million makeover for Champaign’s busiest interchange is one step closer to completion.
On Wednesday afternoon, crews opened a new five-story tall ramp that will allow drivers on westbound I-74 to exit onto southbound I-57 towards Effingham.
Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said there are safety upgrades to the 60-year-old interchange.
“We’ve smoothed out those curves,” she said. “We have new surfacing. It’s all in a state of what we call good repair.”
The Illinois Department of Transportation said nearly 40,000 vehicles pass through the I-74 I-57 interchange each day.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin joined regional leaders in cutting the ribbon to open the new ramp. Attendees included Champaign mayor Deborah Frank Feinen, Urbana mayor DeShawn Williams, and President Andy Quarnstrom from the Village of Savoy. State Representative Carol Ammons , State Representative Brandun Schewizer, and State Senator Paul Faraci praised the progress on the interchange reconstruction.
Faraci said the new upgrade makes a difference to the community.
“It’s about making sure a parent can get home safely from work,” he said. “A farmer can get their crops to market, a student can travel to and from college.”
The interchange first opened in 1965.
