Long delays expected on busy Illinois interstate
BENTON, Ill — Truckers who frequently travel on a busy stretch of highway in Illinois should expect major delays for the next 10 days or so.
A reconstruction project on the southbound lanes of Interstate 57 from Benton to the Franklin/Jefferson County line began on July 13 and is expected to continue throughout the week of July 20.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is advising travelers that only one lane of traffic will be maintained for the nine-mile stretch and due to the high volume of traffic, backups and congestion are expected.
During periods of peak delay, drivers are encouraged to follow the signs for alternate routes.
The present traffic count in the southbound direction is 17,000 vehicles per day with over a third being heavy trucks.
The second section of the project begins immediately after the current construction is completed. It includes the Illinois 154 interchange and extends southerly to just north of the Illinois 14 (Benton) interchange.
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