I-94 Improvement Project Under Budget

Widening and improving the I-94 corridor between the Illinois state line and the Mitchell Interchange is on track and under budget.

A press release from the state Department of Transportation confirms that 2006 projections of $1.912 billion are actually coming in closer to $1.65 billion, which amounts to a $262 million savings through the estimated end of construction in 2021.

DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb said the recession drove materials, labor, and real estate costs down and slowed the rate of inflation, which is figured into all multi-year state roads projects.

“The new estimate will provide relief in the amount we will need to request for the project in future budgets, but significant funding will still be required to keep the project on schedule," he said in the statement.

Gottlieb warns that costs could go up in the next few years but says his department will closely monitor conditions and report those changes accordingly.

"Prices will continue to fluctuate over the next eight years and the department will continue to monitor the estimate," he stated.