East Side Corridor
Transportation Facility
Feasibility Study

The East Side Corridor Feasibility Study is a cooperative effort by Bloomington, Downs, Normal, Towanda, McLean County and the Illinois Department of Transportation, administered by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission (which is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for transportation planning in the Bloomington-Normal urbanized area). Referring to Figure ES-1, the purpose of the study is to determine the feasibility of a new east side transportation facility. The study area is about fifteen miles long from I-74 near the Village of Downs to I-55 near the Village of Towanda and about three miles wide extending eastward from Towanda-Barnes Road (County Highway 29) to west of Illinois 165. Items involved with this study include:

• Examining existing and future transportation conditions taking into consideration adopted future land use plans and programmed roadway improvements;
• Discussing project needs and issues with public officials, government agencies and other groups with a special interest in the project;
• Identifying the purpose and need (goals) for the project;
• Identifying and evaluating alternative improvements relative to project goals, transportation considerations, environmental considerations, project costs and community considerations and comments;
• Recommending a preferred course of action for project implementation; and
• Listening and sharing information with the public.

In 1994, the Long Range Transportation Plan for the Bloomington-Normal Urbanized Area recommended:

• Improving Towanda-Barnes Road to accommodate future development on the east side of Bloomington and Normal, and
• Examining a parallel freeway or expressway between I-74 and I-55 to move traffic efficiently into the east side development areas as well as provide for traffic movement around the east side of the urban area.

These recommendations were carried forward into the McLean County Regional Comprehensive Plan (August, 2000) and the 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan (September, 1999) that called for the examination of an eastside bypass freeway as well as the improvement of Towanda-Barnes Road. Towanda-Barnes Road is currently be improved as a five-lane facility from US 150 to Fort Jesse Road, and the McLean County Highway Department is considering the extension of the improvement northward from Fort Jesse Road toward Towanda.

Figure ES-1: Study Area and Alternate Corridors Click for larger image.

In the year 2025, serious transportation congestion problems will exist on the east side of Bloomington-Normal despite the programmed improvement to Towanda-Barnes Road, the widening of I-55/74 to six lanes around the west side of Bloomington-Normal and the widening of Veterans Parkway (Business I-55) to six lanes from the Conrail/Norfolk & Southern Railway around the east side of Bloomington-Normal to I-55. In fact, Veterans Parkway will be at or over capacity from Main Street (US 51) to Ireland Grove Road and from Oakland Avenue to I-55. The new State Farm Campus on the east side of Veterans Parkway at Ireland Grove Road presently contains nearly 10,000 employees, and may grow to nearly 18,000 employees over the next 25 years. The Central Illinois Regional Airport opened their new passenger terminal late last year on Empire Street (Illinois 9) in the vicinity of Towanda-Barnes Road. Finally, over the past decade rapid residential and associated commercial development has occurred between Veterans Parkway and Towanda-Barnes Road, and is anticipated to begin spilling over to Towanda-Barnes Road before the year 2025. In conclusion, while the major capital investment in Towanda-Barnes Road clearly serves development on the east side of Bloomington-Normal, it is not sufficient to accommodate future transportation needs on the east-side of Bloomington-Normal even with other programmed transportation investments.

Project goals were developed to serve as a foundation for the identification of alternate corridors for the proposed East Side Transportation Facility and for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the build alternates relative to each other and the no build alternate. The project goals were reviewed and refined by the project Steering Committee and presented at the first of three public information meetings. The project goals for an eastside bypass freeway (or expressway) of Bloomington-Normal connecting I-74 near Downs to I-55 near Towanda in McLean County are:

• Provide overall system connectivity and continuity by completing a freeway or expressway loop around the Bloomington-Normal Urbanized Area.
• Provide for traffic movement around the east side of the Bloomington-Normal Urbanized Area.
• Move traffic efficiently into the east side development areas.
• Provide improved access to major employment activity centers and major inter-modal transportation facilities (such as the Central Illinois Regional Airport).
• Strengthen the transportation network in McLean County by providing an acceptable capacity to meet forecasted travel demand.

Proposed Geometrics. Consistent with the Long Range Transportation Plan for the Bloomington-Normal Urbanized Area (2000), a four-lane rural freeway section has been assumed for the East Side Corridor Transportation Facility that is typical of interstate facilities in McLean County as well as throughout the State of Illinois. The proposed freeway would have two 12-foot lanes in each direction with a 60-foot depressed median, a four-foot inside and 11-foot (10-foot paved) outside shoulders. The East-Side Corridor Study demonstrates that a facility with less than fully controlled access fails to achieve project goals.

For the purposes of cost estimation and environmental analysis, a minimum right-of-way width of 300 feet had been used. Because the freeway passes over three railroads and several crossroads, the elevated portions of the freeway on earthen fill may require additional right-of-way beyond the typical 300 feet, unless a decision is made to use guardrails and retaining walls to reduce the amount of right-of-way. Topography may also require additional right-of-way to accommodate the side slopes from the freeway edge of pavement to the right-of-way line. Finally, additional right-of-way will be required in interchange areas, particularly for the full-directional system interchanges with I-74 and I-55.

Federal interstate design standards require interchanges be spaced an average of two miles apart and no closer than one mile in urban areas. Because the study area is expected to fall inside the urbanized area for the design year of the proposed freeway, the urban interchange spacing standards have been used. Consistent with urban interchange spacing standards, service interchanges are proposed at higher volume crossroads in the freeway corridor. Other public roads (including three railroads and the proposed bike trials along Old Route 66 and the Conrail right-of-way) are either grade-separated from the proposed freeway or relocated to maintain local traffic circulation along and across the freeway corridor.

Alternates. Based on existing transportation conditions and environmental considerations, alternate corridor were identified as shown in Figure ES-2. The corridors are roughly 1,000 feet in width except at the system interchanges that may involve greater width.

No Build - The No Build Alternate is the "do nothing" alternate or "base condition" against which the major transportation investment in any build alternate is compared. The No Build Alternate includes committed roadway improvements (such as the widening of Towanda-Barnes Road to four lanes from US 150 to Fort Jesse Road, the widening of Veterans Parkway to six lanes from the Conrail/Norfolk & Southern Railway around the east side of Bloomington-Normal to I-55, and the widening of I-55/74 to six lanes around the west side of Bloomington-Normal), but includes no additional major transportation investment in any new or existing route in the study area. The No Build Alternate may be selected if the need for a new route or upgrading of an existing route is not demonstrated, the new route or existing route improvement is not feasible, or the adverse community and environmental consequences of every build alternate are unacceptable.

Alternate A - The Far West Alternate runs from I-74 far west of Downs to I-55 west of Towanda. This Alternate is similar to Alternate C, but begins farther west on I-74 than Alternate C in order to be closer to the new State Farm campus (along the east side of Veterans Parkway near Ireland Grove Road). The four-lane freeway begins at I-74 near the existing Old Colonial Road (County Highway 30) overpass; runs eastward to Towanda-Barnes Road (County Highway 29) near Cheney's Grove Road; and turns northward to parallel Towanda-Barnes Road about 3,000 feet to the east. At Fort Jesse Road, Alternate A angles northwest crossing Towanda-Barnes Road south of 1800 North Road; and terminates at I-55 just east of Airport Road (1800 East Road). In addition to the system interchanges with I-74 and I-55, Alternate A includes proposed interchanges at US 150, Towanda-Barnes Road (near Cheney's Grove Road), Ireland Grove Road, Illinois 9 (Empire Street), Fort Jessie Road, and Towanda-Barnes Road (south of 1800 North Road). Railways and other McLean County roadways would be grade separated or relocated. This corridor is about 11.0 miles in length and the total project cost is about $266 million.

Figure ES-2: Alternate Corridors on Environmental Footprint Click for larger image.

Alternate B - This alternate serves as the Transportation System Management option linking improved four-lane Towanda-Barnes Road to I-74 on the south and I-55 on the north along the Alternate C corridor. The corridor is the same as Alternate C except that the freeway is not built (or deferred) between the south Towanda-Barnes Road interchange near Cheney's Grove Road and the north Towanda-Barnes Road interchange. Except in the interchange areas, no further improvements are proposed to Towanda-Barnes Road. This alternate involves 3.4 miles of freeway construction at a project cost of about $158 million.

Alternate C - The West Alternate runs from I-74 west of Downs to I-55 west of Towanda. This Alternate is similar to Alternate A, but begins farther east on I-74 than Alternate A to provide a more direct connection to Towanda-Barnes Road and better access to Downs. This freeway alternate begins at I-74 just east of the existing 1750 East Road overpass; and continues northeast joining the Alternate A corridor at the Towanda-Barnes Road (County Highway 29) near Cheney's Grove Road. Alternate C has the same proposed interchanges as Alternate A. This corridor is about 10.4 miles in length and the total project cost is about $250 million.

Alternate D - The West-East Alternate runs from I-74 west of Downs to I-55 east of Towanda. This Alternate avoids the relocation of the I-55 mainline, in contrast to Alternates A, B and C. The corridor of Alternate D is the same as Alternate C from I-74 to General Electric Road. At General Electric Road, this alternate turns northeast to interchange with I-55 midway between 1975 East Road and 2150 East Road. This Alternate has the same proposed interchanges as Alternates A and C except that the north Towanda-Barnes Road interchange is replaced by the 1900 North Road (County Highway 14) interchange. This corridor is about 12.5 miles in length and the total project cost is about $246 million.

Alternate E - The East Alternate runs from I-74 east of Downs to I-55 east of Towanda. The four-lane freeway begins at I-74 just west of the 2200 East Road; runs parallel to 2200 East Road about 2,500 feet to the west; and terminates at I-55 midway between 1975 East Road and 2150 East Road (like Alternate D). In addition to the system interchanges with I-74 and I-55, Alternate E includes proposed interchanges at County Highway 36, Ireland Grove Road, Illinois 9 (Empire Street), Fort Jessie Road, and 1900 North Road (County Highway 14). This corridor is about 12.5 miles in length and the total project cost is about $235 million.

Corridors Evaluation. The alternate corridors were presented at the second public information meeting, and were evaluated on the basis of project goals (which reflects transportation considerations), environmental concerns, agency cost and implementation considerations, and public comment. Table ES-1 summarizes the major advantages and disadvantages of the alternates.

At a cost of $266 million and a length of 11.0 miles, Alternate A (Far West) is the most costly, yet traffic diversion from the interstates and Veterans Parkway are comparable to Alternate D. Alternative A also has the greatest built environment impacts (i.e., greatest potential displacements of residences and businesses), fails to improve access to the new State Farm Campus, fails to divert through traffic from Downs, and results in the most complicated interchange with I-74.

At a cost of $158 million and a length of 3.4 miles of new freeway, Alternate B (Towanda-Barnes extensions to I-74 and I-55) builds upon the four-lane investment being made to Towanda-Barnes Road. However, the alternate is ineffective in diverting traffic from interstates or highly congested Veterans Parkway. This alternate is most easily staged with the balance of the freeway completed later in the corridor. Nevertheless, this alternate requires the relocation of the mainline of I-55 for the Towanda-Barnes extension to I-55, and is cost-ineffective without the completion of the freeway in the balance of the corridor.

At a cost of $250 million and a length of 10.4 miles, Alternate C (West) provides the best access to growing areas and to major employment centers (including the Airport), provides comparable traffic diversion from the interstates and Veterans Parkway comparable to Alternate D, and provides relief to the most congested segments of Veterans Parkway. Like Alternatives A and B, Alternative C also requires relocation of the I-55 mainline for an interchange.

At a cost of $246 million and a length of 12.5 miles, Alternate D (West-East) serves the most traffic, but provides poor service to the north end of the study area for future development as well as Towanda. While Alternate D avoids concerns associated with the relocation of the mainline of I-55, it results in the second greatest potential displacements.

At a cost of $235 million and a length of 14.1 miles, Alternate E (East) attracts the least traffic, provides the least access improvement to major employment centers (including the Airport), fails to serve developing areas of Downs and Towanda, fails to divert traffic for congested Veterans Parkway and has the greatest environmental impact wetlands, stream crossings, floodplains, prime farmland and wooded areas.

To address the issue of cost-effectiveness of the build alternates, user benefits (travel time savings, vehicle operating cost reductions and accident cost reductions) over a twenty-year period were compared to the total project cost. Changes in daily vehicle-hours of travel (VHT) for each build alternate compared to the no build alternate drive the user benefits. While the travel user benefits exceed the total project cost for all build alternates, a comparison of roadway user benefits over a twenty-year period to the total project cost shows that Alternate D is most cost-effective followed by Alternate C, and that Alternate E is the least cost-effective.

Preferred Corridor. Alternate C (West) is recommended as the preferred corridor for development of a freeway connection from I-74 to I-55 on the east side of Bloomington-Normal. Alternate C best fulfills the project goals (See Figure ES-3). It provides the best access to major employment centers and the Airport, the best access to developing areas including Towanda and Downs, and the greatest relief to the most highly congested segments of Veterans Parkway. Alternate C is also comparable to Alternate D (the most effective) in diverting traffic from the interstate routes around Bloomington-Normal and from Veterans Parkway, and in attracting traffic along the corridor. Relative to environmental considerations, Alternate C falls in the middle relative to potential displacements, is most adjacent to forecasted future growth areas in adopted comprehensive plans, has no floodplain or stream crossings, affects the least wetland, and affects prime farmland that is undergoing conversion to urban uses. Relative to agency issues, Alternate C falls in the middle relative to project costs and utility relocation costs, and is the shortest all freeway alternate.

Figure ES-3: Preferred Corridor Alternate C Click for larger image.

At the second public meeting, a majority of those who submitted written comments favored Alternate C. At the third public meeting, those who submitted written comments generally favored Alternate E because the western alternates were too close to growing residential areas and would create a barrier to expanding residential development. It should be reiterated that Alternate E is least effective in meeting project objectives, provides the least traffic service to growing areas, fails to relieve congestion on Veterans Parkway and has the greatest adverse environmental impact. Relative to concerns that Alternate C would hamper residential, it should be noted that freeways which provide the best service to major employment centers and growing areas enhance mobility in such growth areas, provide development opportunities on both sides of the freeway (which is not true of Alternate E), and are consistent with other community infrastructure investments in sanitary sewers and water lines. Further, it should be noted that Alternate C provides grade separations for all existing east-west roads without interchanges to maintain circulation between areas on either side of the freeway and that utility conduits can be placed under the freeway at strategic locations so that the freeway does not hamper the extension of sanitary sewer, waterlines and other utilities to the east side of the freeway. Finally, Alternate C involves a corridor of at 1000 feet in width in which significant flexibility exists to set the final alignment; thus, the final alignment may be located farther east to reduce displacements in interchange areas and to reduce impacts on proposed developments on the east side of Towanda-Downs Road.

Full directional interchanges are proposed for the freeway system interchanges with I-55 and I-74. For the service interchanges on the proposed freeway between I-74 and I-55, a partial-cloverleaf (or folded diamond interchange) has been assumed where necessary to meet the minimum one-mile interchange spacing requirements; otherwise, a typical diamond interchange has been used for cost estimation and environmental analysis purposes. When the proposed freeway enters the design phase, consideration to alternative freeway interchange designs is appropriate. During the design phase, turning movement forecasts at the freeway interchange with IL 9 may make a full cloverleaf interchange a possible alternative. Likewise, right-of-way and traffic operational considerations may make consideration of a single-point urban diamond interchange appropriate to minimize right-of-way taking and improve traffic signal operation even though construction costs are higher due to additional bridge structure necessary to accommodate this unique interchange design.

Project Implementation Actions. A key factor for the success of an eastside improvement is the unified support of the local communities, followed by the acceptance of the project by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Funding is the next major element. The magnitude of project cost ($250 million) limits funding sources, and would likely require primarily federal funding along with state funds and some local funding. Again, due to the size of the project, it would be a good candidate for a "High Priority Project" in a Federal Transportation Funding Act.

The estimated funding requirements for the improvement include:

A strategy for funding would be to start a concentrated effort NOW to secure funding for the engineering services, ROW, and utilities for the federal funding package currently being developed and slated to begin in the Fall of 2003. These activities can reasonably be expected to be complete in 5 to 7 years, which has been the time span of recent Federal Funding Acts. The funding for construction could then be sought in the subsequent federal program.

The next steps in sequence following this feasibility study would include:

1. Perform a location study, including necessary environmental approvals and FHWA approval of the additional interchanges on I-74 and I-55.
2. Prepare construction plans with possibly 3 or more sections (based on funding availability). Logical construction sections could include: Alignment B from I-55 to
3. Towanda-Barnes Road, Alignment B from I-74 to Towanda- Barnes Road, and Alternate C between the Alternate B segments.
4. Prepare ROW documents and acquire property as needed for construction.
5. Relocate Utilities as needed prior to construction.
6. Construct all or a portion of the improvement as funding becomes available.

The time from initiating (begin Location study) a project of this type to completion of construction generally takes from 7 to 10 years assuming funding is identified. Because of the rapid expansion of urban development eastward from Bloomington and Normal, the preferred corridor for the East Side Transportation Facility will be blocked in a few years (if not sooner), and immediate public action is needed to preserve the corridor for this facility.