Marc Kiehna, chairman of the Randolph County Commissioners and also chairman of the Southwest Illinois Connector Task Force, has applied for $210 million dollars to help complete the Murphysboro to Pinckneyville section of the Southwest Illinois Connector Rural Expressway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has awarded a $5.73 million contract to Samron Midwest Contracting Inc. of Murphysboro, Ill., to extend the four-lane section of IL 13/127 north of Murphysboro. The 1.3 mi. project begins at Ava Road and ends just north of Grange Hall Road.

Work includes constructing intersection improvements at IL 13/127 and Ava Road/Kimmel Bridge Road and at IL 13/127 and Grange Hall Road to restricted cross U-turn (RCUT) intersections; earthwork; drainage improvements; and hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavement and shoulders.

Under the Congressionally Directed Spending Program, Marc Kiehna, chairman of the Randolph County Commissioners and also chairman of the Southwest Illinois Connector Task Force, has applied for $210 million dollars to help complete the Murphysboro to Pinckneyville section of the Southwest Illinois Connector Rural Expressway.

The proximity of southern Illinois to the midwest and southern United States makes it a significant hub of transportation. A four-lane rural expressway is crucial for the expansion of commerce in southern Illinois and future growth and job creation opportunities.

The rural expressway will provide a safe, reliable highway and increase economic development opportunities in Monroe, Randolph, Perry and Jackson counties. It will improve access to the Kaskaskia Regional Port District, area hospitals, the World Shooting Complex, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and other regional destinations. It will expand regional access from the population centers in southern Illinois to the St. Louis metropolitan area.

For more information, visit siconnector.com.

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