The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The status of US 34's future as a four-lane, election of directors and officers and setting the date for the 2002 Hog Roast were the focus of the annual meeting of the Highway 34 Coalition held recently in Monmouth.
The Coalition is a non-profit, bipartisan organization that promotes transportation and economic development in the Illinois counties of Knox, Warren, and Henderson and in Des Moines County, Iowa.
Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Kurt Brown and other IDOT staff recently held a briefing session with Coalition members.
Gene Blade, Vice-Chairman of the Coalition and spokesman for the group that met with Secretary Brown reported that Secretary Brown indicated that as soon as the Phase I Study is completed a public hearing will be held probably in late spring.
The engineering contract for the 7 miles on the East end of highway 34 from 67 Junction to Kirkwood was awarded in December.
The engineering contract for the 7-mile West end from Carman blacktop to Gladstone junction is being advertised now.
That announcement closes mid February.
The engineering should take around 24 months to complete.
The construction contracts should be awarded during 2004 provided we obtain the federal funds in the next 5-year federal highway-funding bill.
We will need around $115 million for these two sections of highway.
It looks like about five years before the funds to complete the engineering for the middle 12 miles section are available. The Coalition needs to continue to be proactive in getting US 34 in the federal 2009 highway budget. We will need to obtain the final phase funding to complete the four-lane US 34 from Burlington to Monmouth. We are planning a trip to Washington this spring. Our federal and state legislators continue to be very supportive, Blade told the group.
Others attending the meeting with Secretary Brown included Jerry Lack representing Congressman Lane Evans; Senator Laura Kent Donahue and State Representative Rich Myers; Lomac Payton, Coalition member from Knox County; and Yvonne Knapp, Coalition Secretary-Treasurer. Other IDOT staff participating in the meeting were Linda Wheeler, Director of Programming, Jered Hooker, Assistant to Director of Programming; Joe Crowe, District 4 Engineer; Eric Therkildsen, Program Engineer; and Tom Lacy, 34 Project Engineer.
Blade said that the group and Secretary Brown discussed the importance of completing US 34 as an expressway because traffic on US 34,was increasing in the area because of the potential of an ethanol plant in the area, relocation or expansion of several trucking companies and businesses that rely on transporting their products by truck. Economic development efforts to recruit distribution centers and other businesses would be enhanced by the completion of US 34 as a four-lane. US 34 is one of only six highways that cross the Mississippi River in west central Illinois.
Secretary Brown said that the Coalition was doing the right thing by advocating for increased funding and decreased time. We were pleased to get 40 minutes with Secretary Brown and his staff as we know they have a lot of competition for road funds. Hopefully, we can invite Governor Ryan to the area and have an opportunity to discuss the importance of US 34 with him. Our legislators are very supportive of the project moving ahead as quickly as possible, Blade said.
Selected to serve on the Coalition Board of Directors were Dennis Hinkle, Burlington/West Burlington Chamber of Commerce; Don Chicken (ex-officio); Mark Hagerla; Hagerla Market; Mike Albaugh, Ideal Concrete; A.C. Dickson, Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Lomac Payton, Knox County Board; and Kurt McChesney, Gladstone Grain; Charlie McChesney; Marion Brown/Gail Russell, Henderson County Board; and Linda Utsinger, Oquawka and Galesburg Area Economic Development Foundation; Jackie Flater/Linda Norman, Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce; Bill Reichow/Steve Erlandson, Warren County Board, and Dan Kistler, Kistler and Company.
Members at large include Blade, Warren & Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development; Sherry Berg, Carl Sandburg College; Carol Stombaugh, Maple City Business and Technology Center; Blanche Shoup, Workforce Investment Office; and Yvonne Knapp, Partnership for Economic Development.
Representatives from the City of Monmouth, the townships of Tompkins, Biggsville, and Gladstone, the villages of Kirkwood, Biggsville, Gladstone and Gulfport and other governmental units along the US 34 corridor will also continue participating.
McChesney, Blade and Knapp were elected to continue to serve as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively.
In other business, the Coalition set August 15 as the date for the Annual Hog Roast.
Members of the Highway 34 Coalition met with state legislators and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) officials recently to stress the importance of completing US 34 as a four-lane highway. Participating in the meeting were (front row-left to right) Senator Laura Kent Donahue; Representative Rich Myers; from IDOT Joe Crowe, District 4 Engineer; Eric Therkildsen, Progarm Engineer; and Tom Lacy, 34 Project Engineer. Back row (left to right) Coalition members Yvonne Knapp and Lomac Payton; Secretary of Transportation Kurt Brown; Coalition Vice Chairman Gene Blade; and Jerry Lack, for Congressman Lane Evans.