When the Illinois Route 159 Project through Collinsville is completed, residents will see much more than a wider street.

Work on the third and final phase of the project began in August and is expected to complete in late fall of 2016. The $11.8 million phase of the $54 million project begins at Johnson Street and ends just north of Cumberland Street.

The street construction on 159 consists of widening the existing roadway from three lanes to four from Johnson Street to Wickliffe Avenue, with a center stripe divider. Wickliffe Avenue to Cumberland Street will be five lanes, with a bi-directional turn lane.

Before the streets are widened, the water main that runs the length of the project will be replaced and new storm sewers placed. That work is expected to last until early 2014, at which time the heavy construction can begin.

Many old trees in the historic area between Johnson and Wickliffe were cut down to make room for the wider road. Some residents, including Ed Starns, General Manager of Master Auto Repair, at the corner of Clay and 159, were unhappy that the trees were removed. However, Tim Porter, of Collinsville, was thankful for the firewood. Porter was allowed to cut firewood from trees left in a nearby vacant lot.

The McClaskey House at 429 Vandalia St. / Photo by Roger Starkey

The Collinsville Historic Preservation Commission classified the McClaskey House at 429 Vandalia St., including the stone fence around its yard, historic. The designation spared the house and yard from being part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s land acquisition program.

The former Dairy Queen on Vandalia Street is also designated as historic. The sidewalk will be replaced in front of the vacant building, but the building will remain.

A total of $13 million was spent to obtain all or parts of 223 parcels for the entire project, Mike Myler, IDOT land acquisition manager said. About 15 percent of the properties were acquired by invoking eminent domain, which is consistent with other projects. “We much prefer a negotiated settlement. It’s usually better for us and the resident,” Myler said.

The $13 million price tag includes 25 properties from which people were relocated and 11 demolitions,

Big changes are also coming to the sidewalks that run the length of the project. They will be brought up to Americans with Disability Act standards. The stretch from Johnson to Wickliffe will be made consistent with the downtown streetscape project, including the stamped brick sidewalks and decorative streetlights.

The State of Illinois is paying for the stamped brick on the sidewalks, but Collinsville will pay the difference between standards streetlights and the decorative streetlamps, Mayor John Miller said. The cost to the city for the decorative streetlamps is $150,000, which is the cost of the entire project to the city, Director of Streets Rod Cheatam said.

Among the changes coming to streets other than 159, will be the addition of a cul-de-sac at the current intersection of Wickliffe and Keebler avenues. The dead end cuts off the popular shortcut of accessing Keebler Avenue from 159 by way of Wickliffe Avenue.

Northbound drivers wishing to access Keebler Avenue from 159 will be able to do so at Park Street, which will be resurfaced and widened. A new traffic signal will be placed at the intersection of 159 and Park and Spring streets.

IDOT estimates that traffic on the expanded road will increase from the current 23,000 per day to 35,000, Cheatam said. Donald Hilmer, of Collinsville, thinks the increased traffic will primarily be people passing through the city without stopping.

“I kind of don’t like the whole thing”, Hilmer said. “I think this is going to be the main line between Fairview Heights shopping and Edwardsville shopping.”

Mayor John Miller said the lack of bottlenecks on the road may attract more business. The project is also providing the city $1.2 million in needed infrastructure, Miller said.

Even if the improved traffic conditions do not bring new business to the city, it may be better than the alternative. At least one early plan from the State of Illinois called for the route between Fairview Heights and Edwardsville to bypass Collinsville.

“Most of the time when towns are bypassed, they are forgotten about,” Miller said.

Starns said a widened 159 should help the community, but he is concerned about the impact to businesses during construction. “We went through it in 2010, it dropped my business by about 30 percent,” Starns said. “I think it will help the local businesses, if they can survive the construction.”

A good business run by someone with a good business sense will have no problem withstanding any negative impact of improved traffic flow in front of his or her establishment, Carla Hall, owner of The Mane Attraction at 1501 Vandalia St. said. Hall is in favor of the project.

“Collinsville needs an upgrade, it could make it (business) better,” Hall said.