The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced the completion of a new diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 39 and U.S. 20/Harrison Avenue in Cherry Valley.
The $44.2 million project is part of a larger $302.4 million effort under Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital program, aimed at improving I-39 between the U.S. 20/Harrison Avenue interchange and Blackhawk Road in Cherry Valley and Rockford, according to a community announcement.
“In every corner of the state, Rebuild Illinois is supporting critical investments in roads like I-39. Thanks to this key project, travelers and freight carriers will have access to a safer, more efficient interchange,” Pritzker said in the announcement.
Design and safety features
The project involved converting the interchange from a cloverleaf to a diverging diamond design over two construction seasons. It also included rebuilding U.S. 20/Harrison Avenue from Mill Road to South Mall Drive, and reconstructing the Harrison Avenue and South Mall Drive intersection. More than 50,000 vehicles, including nearly 15,000 trucks, use this section of I-39 daily, according to the announcement.
Additional features of the project include a bike-and-pedestrian path along U.S. 20 and Harrison Avenue, connecting to the Cherry Valley Path and the Rockford regional trail system, as well as new, more efficient lighting throughout the interchange.
The new interchange aims to improve traffic flow on I-39 and U.S. 20/Harrison Avenue compared to a conventional cloverleaf interchange, enhancing safety by reducing potential collision points and improving access to and from the interstate.
“The diverging diamond is one of the top innovations in traffic design and engineering in the last decade,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said in the announcement. “We’re proud to open the latest one for Illinois in Cherry Valley, delivering a major safety improvement while creating economic opportunity along one of the state’s key travel and freight corridors.”
Program progress and future projects
With its opening, there are now eight diverging diamond interchanges in Illinois. The design routes vehicles temporarily to the opposite side of U.S. 20/Harrison Avenue, eliminating left turns across traffic entering and exiting I-39. Diverging diamonds have reportedly reduced crashes by half in some locations.
The interchange is the third of five major projects in the reconstruction of I-39 from Blackhawk Road to I-90. The first, a $7.9 million replacement of the Perryville Road bridge over I-39, was finished in 2023. The second, a $98.8 million reconstruction of the I-39 and U.S. 20 interchange, opened in 2024.
A $125.9 million project is currently underway to expand I-39 from four to six lanes between Mulford Road and Harrison Avenue, with completion expected in late 2028. The final project, a $25.5 million expansion of U.S. 20 from four to six lanes at the intersection of Mill Road, is set to be completed in 2028.
The public can expect occasional lane closures on U.S. 20 and Harrison Avenue as work continues until next spring, including installing traffic signals and paving.
The Rebuild Illinois program, passed in 2019, is investing a total of $45 billion over six years into the state’s infrastructure, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. The program aims to improve more than 3,200 miles of highway and nearly 9 million square feet of bridge deck, with $2.4 billion allocated for the area including northwest Illinois and the Rockford area, according to the announcement.
For more information, visit rebuildi39.com.
This story was created by reporter Abreanna Blose, ablose@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Illinois completes $44 million interchange upgrade to ease congestion near Rockford
Reporting by Abreanna Blose / Rockford Register Star
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