ALTON - "Concerns raised by local project stakeholders and partners" were cited regarding IDOT's plan to discontinue its Alton Godfrey Study. 

Letters mailed to interested parties in recent days state the following: 

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The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has decided to discontinue the Alton Godfrey Study at this time. Concerns raised by our local project stakeholders and partners, including potential construction costs, displacements of homes and community support, were among the considerations in this decision. This does not preclude any future Alton Godfrey Studies, or portions thereof, from being conducted. 

The Alton Godfrey Study is an example of how IDOT's Context Sensitive Solutions process can facilitate effective identification and understanding of the concerns and values of all stakeholders (i.e., persons and entities that have a stake in the outcome of a highway project) as an integral part of the project development process. 

If there are any questions, please contact Karen Geldert, Project Manager for IDOT, at 618-346-3157, or Karen.Geldert@illinois.gov. Thank you for your interest in this project. 

The project began in 2013 with community advisory meetings held in Nov. 2013, May 2014 and Oct. 2014. IDOT was conducting a transportation study of connectivity, circulation and safety in the Alton and Godfrey areas. The focus of the study was an area bounded roughly by Homer Adams Parkway on the south, Seminary Road on the east, Seiler Road on the north and Godfrey Road on the west. 

According to IDOT's website, the purpose of the study was to, "identify options that could improve transportation mobility and safety between IL Route 255 and IL Route 111 (Homer Adams Parkway), as well as improve connections between IL Route 3/111 and US Route 67." 

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During the community advisory studies, IDOT gave the public a look at potential options to better improve this corridor. Each option would have required construction and possible impact on both homeowners and the environment, but ultimately had the goal to create better infrastructure. 

Calls to Geldert from Riverbender.com were forwarded to Guy Tridgell of IDOT. Tridgell forwarded a list of emailed questions from Riverbender.com to IDOT Communications Services Bureau Chief Kelsea Gurski. Gurski said the study was conducted in the first place to improve the current roadways.

"The purpose of the project was to make improvements to the local roadway system, to improve continuity and connectivity between its major traffic destinations and Illinois 255, as well as to provide better connections between Illinois 3/111 and U.S. 67," she said in an email. "About 170,000 vehicle trips are made each day in the study area; nearly 89 percent of these trips are local. With a demand for more than 150,000 local daily trips, this area has a strong need for a robust local road system." 

Despite the promises for better infrastructure, however, Gurski said the public response was "predominately against the project through Phase I," which was "reflected by many public meeting comments not in favor of the study and a petition against it." 

Concerns from the local project stakeholders and partners involved potential construction costs and displacement of homes, Gurski said in an email. She was not sure how many homeowners were in danger of possible displacement, but said the funding for the project was estimated at $180 million, but the source of construction funding had not yet been identified. 

"To date, approximately $4.5 million had been spent for Phase 1 study and design work," she said. 

Gurski added the state's current financial issues did not have anything to do with the decision to discontinue the study, saying stakeholder support was the "primary driver." 

The full plan can be found here on IDOT's website

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