CHAMPAIGN — The city of Champaign is kicking off construction this week to resurface and redesign part of South Mattis Avenue, with changes that could support future development and residents in the area.
The city is repaving South Mattis from Windsor to Curtis Road, a portion of the road which stretches from a Christie Clinic facility to a CarleRx pharmacy. The construction will require the corridor to be closed through December.
Champaign Public Works Public Information Officer Kris Koester said the road is one of the few major streets that is still mostly asphalt, and new development towards the south end of the city has resulted in drivers using South Mattis more often than in the past. The new road will be redone with concrete.
“To just have a more complete street that is obviously smoother, we will be able to plow it better because we’ll have a flatter surface than [with] the crowning of the asphalt, and we’ll be able to better maintain it in the long run,” he said.
The new configuration will also add painted on-street bike lanes as well as a multi-use pathway on the side of the road for pedestrians. Koester said this approach accommodates avid bicyclists and those who are less comfortable or experienced with riding in the road.
He added those features will be useful if new homes or businesses are built along the road.
“To go ahead and plan ahead for those things — additional housing or additional commercial [properties] where you might get more people who are using that multi-use path, or more people bicycling —then at least that just gives people options,” Koester said.
The project will cost an estimated $8.5 million. The city has received a Federal Surface Transportation grant to help pay for the project in addition to local dollars.
This year’s street repaving grants are coming from the federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act signed by former President Joe Biden. Congress is currently negotiating its next highway and transportation bill.