EAST PEORIA, Ill. — A new traffic project will likely begin soon in East Peoria.
Commissioners voted unanimously at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting to move forward with its discussion regarding improvement of the intersection of Camp St. and River Rd.
The project would provide a left turn lane from River to the Embassy Suites — there currently is a “no left turn” sign — as well as a second right turn lane onto Camp.
Said discussion started around 2018, according to Commissioner Daniel Decker, with public outcry over original plans to install a roundabout at that intersection.
“I think it might be on top of the roundabout we have, already. Some people don’t like it,” he said.
“It’s a small roundabout and not the same as some places you go. You go to Phoenix, Hilton Head… those are large roundabouts.
“I think that’s what people thought this was going to be.”
Commissioner Michael Sutherland said he concurs with the public.
“This is a roundabout that is no longer a roundabout. This makes me very happy,” he said.
Decker said in addition to the public outcry, cost factored into the change in plans. A roundabout would have cost the city between $1.2 and $1.5 million.
The intersection project will run East Peoria about $343,000.
The Peoria-Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study will cover the rest of the $800,000 the project is estimated to cost, overall.
The item of business was one of the first topics the current council discussed upon election, and the project was targeted for a Jul. 6 start date, but the commission didn’t get around to putting the item onto an agenda until Tuesday night’s meeting.
Decker called the delay a simple “oversight,” and expected the matter to be a part of the consent agenda at the Jul. 21 meeting.
The project could start immediately after assumed passage.
Decker said he was unsure as to how long the project will take, but said it would not constitute a total shutdown of the intersection.
