"After much consideration, the Illinois Department of Transportation is withdrawing corridor protection status on the proposed Gateway Corridor, bringing an end to a regulatory requirement that had been placed on landowners for many years," said Guy Tridgell, director of communications for IDOT.
After much consideration, the Illinois Department of Transportation is withdrawing corridor protection status on the proposed Gateway Corridor, bringing an end to a regulatory requirement that had been placed on landowners for many years.
For several years, IDOT worked on plans to extend the Illinois 158 corridor into Monroe and Madison counties.
There were many people against the plan and the corridor said it made it difficult for them to sell property within the area. The group Citizens for Smart Growth also said traffic projections for the road were faulty and overestimated traffic flow. They added the road would have led to environmental problems in the area.
"To all of you who signed petitions, wrote letters, made calls, and done so much — to you the rest of us owe a great deal," Richard Ellerbrake, spokesperson Citizens for Smart Growth/Stop 158.org, said in an email to people who have fought against the project for years.
As part of the planning process, IDOT put in the corridor protection district. This allowed the state to purchase land in that area before it is improved upon. Much of the land that was proposed for Gateway Corridor is agricultural, and four of the five parcels that IDOT purchased were done to prevent subdivisions being built.
If a homeowner wanted to improve the land, such as building or renovating a home, owners in the district had to notify IDOT, so the department could decide if it wants to buy the property.