Feds Sign Off on Rt. 13/127 Realignment

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ The Federal Highway Administration has issued a finding of "no significant impact" in the Illinois Department of Transportation's plan to upgrade and realign 23 miles of existing Rt. 13/127 from the Ava Road to an area north of Pinckneyville.

The $8.5 million in expected land acquisitions for the project is expected to be pared significantly.

IDOT releases its multi-year plan later this month. But, according to District 9 planning spokesman Joe Zdankiewic while the recession has slowed the conversion of Rt. 13/127 to four lanes, the project remains in the District 9 plan.

Zdankiewic said money will be left in the budget for landowners offering to sell their properties to IDOT for the realignment. But, IDOT is not ready to aggressively pursue acquisition of many of the properties.

The Federal Highway Administration recently outlined its findings.

The proposed project involves upgrading 23 miles of existing Rt. 13/127 from two lanes beginning at the Ava turnoff north of Murphysboro and ending on Rt. 127 just north of Pinckneyville.

Included in the project are an eastern bypass of the village of Vergennes, an interchange at Illinois Rt. 152 west of Du Quoin and a western bypass of the City of Pinckneyville with an interchange of Rt. 154.

The federal report says, "the project will work toward closing a gap in the National Highway System of four-lane highways between major population centers in Southern Illinois and the St. Louis metropolitan area."

Property acquisition required for this project includes 689 acres of new right of way from 219 parcels. Approximately 644 acres of farmland will be converted to highway use. There will be 53 residential relocations and five business relocations as a result of implementing the proposed action.

Only the services provided by one business, the Manor at Mason Woods are considered unique. It is a 40-unit supportive-living facility and is the only one of its kind in the project area. The report says, "The Illinois Department of Transportation is committed to relocating the residents of the supportive-living facility as soon as funding to construct the project becomes available. Coordination with the facility's owner has already begun. IDOT plans to participate in providing a new facility in the area prior to moving the residents.

The project will require alterations to the Pinckneyville-Du Quoin Airport entrance and runway. In order to maintain adequate spacing of County Highway 18 and the airport entrance and to provide adequate access control at the airport entrance, it is necessary to move the entrance to the airport approximately one-quarter mile north. This move will require some adjustments to the internal operations of the airport and some revisions to the airport's layout.

The project also calls for flattening the horizontal curve of Illinois 13/127 at the south end of the airport resulting in the acquisition of approximately six acres of airport property and encroaching on approximately 200 feet into the south flight path approach surface to its runway.

To mitigate for this encroachment, approximately 30 acres of farmland will be acquired at the north end of the airport, extend the runway and protect the critical approach area to Runway 18.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has authority over Pyramid State Park just west of Rt. 13/127 and north of County Highway 4. Approximately 5.1 acres of land located on the eastern edge of the park will be converted for highway use. The encroachment into the park is limited to a narrow strip of land that is isolated by water from the remainder of the park.

The Illinois Historic Preservation office has reviewed the project. There is the potential to impact one archaeological site within the proposed right of way. If this site cannot be avoided, then further evaluation will be required and the site will be processed under acceptable practices.

Traffic noise abatement was considered at 10 impacted receptors adjacent to the proposed project. Yet, because of the cost, no noise barriers have been proposed.

The plan goes on to say that potential exists for the federally listed endangered Indiana bat to occur in the vicinity of the project corridor. During the summer, the Indiana bat frequents the corridors of small stream with well-developed woods. While none were collected during the trapping conducted in June 2002, the bat has been caught in both Jackson and Perry counties.

Water quality in the streams along the proposed project may be temporarily affected by construction.

It is estimated that 90 acres of trees will be removed by construction o the project. Trees which are required to be removed will be replaced.

Floodplain encroachments will occur on the Beaucoup Creek (two crossings), the unnamed tributaries of the Beaucoup Creek (two crossings) and Youngs Creek (one crossing), Chicken Creek (one crossing) and Opossum Creek (one crossing).

The project will also impact 15.85 acres from 19 wetlands.

IDOT conducted an open house public hearing on october 11, 2007 at the Pinckneyville Junior High School. Approximately 340 individuals were in attendance and signed the attendance sheets. All comments were considered, address and responded to by IDOT.

Actual construction does not show up in this five-year plan, but the 2010-2015 plan could begin mapping the timeline for the project. The five-year plan also includes resurfacing of Rt. 14 east of Du Quoin and lesser Gladson Road, New Church Road, Panda Bear Road and Old Du Quoin Road improvements as well as four bridge replacements on smaller roadways.