On Dec. 27, the new interchange at Exit 192 on I-57 at County Road 1000N opened to traffic, nearly 13 years after the idea of a new interchange for the area was first initiated by area businesses looking for more direct shipping routes for semi-trucks.

While 13 years may seem like a long time, Coles County Engineer Rick Johnson said the project actually finished six months ahead of schedule.

The actual construction of the interchange did not begin until March 2006.

Johnson said weather conditions and funding allowed the Coles County Highway Department and the Illinois Department of Transportation to complete the project sooner than expected.

Though construction of the interchange took two years, Johnson said the bulk of the time was spent studying the feasibility of whether an interchange should be built outside Mattoon.

The study was commissioned by RR Donnelly and Superfoods in 1995 because they wanted to allow their trucks to be able to reach their processing plants more quickly, without having to pass through Mattoon.

Johnson said the study, which was funded by Mattoon and Charleston, took years because it looked at several different aspects of the area to determine if an interchange was needed – and if it would adequately serve its purpose.

“To do something of this magnitude, you want to see it succeed,” Johnson said.

The “magnitude” Johnson alluded to did not just include the manpower put into the project.

Johnson said construction of the interchange cost $20 million in funds provided by various sources, like the federal government, the Illinois Commerce Commission and the state of Illinois.

He said there is still some work to be done on the interchange to allow better flow of truck traffic – not only to Mattoon, but also to Charleston.

Mattoon Mayor David Cline said the city will benefit from the interchange. He called it a “very warranted project.”

The interchange may have already helped to bring the city a new business.

“It’s one of the things (the FutureGen Alliance) looked at before they picked us,” Cline said.

He said the interchange project played a part in the selection of Mattoon as the site of the FutureGen facility because it will allow a more direct route to the company’s site north of Mattoon.

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Businesses are not the only people in the area who will benefit from the interchange.

Cline said with the new trucking routes, the interchange allows for fewer trucks driving through Mattoon, which should mean less traffic congestion for motorists.

However, he did say that some of the local businesses who cater to truckers may suffer a slight loss in business because there will not be as many trucks driving through town.

While Mattoon is probably the most direct beneficiary of the interchange, Charleston will also be helped by the completion of the project.

“Any industrial development will help the area,” Charleston Mayor John Inyart said about the benefits of the interchange.

He believes any project that provides more access for trucks, specifically those leading to the local industrial park, will bring more businesses into Charleston.

“Overall, I think it will be a positive thing for this side of the county,” Inyart said.

Jordan Crook may be reached at 581-7945 or at jscrook@eiu.edu.

Vehicles pass through a new interchange on I-57 Sunday evening. The interchange at exit 192 allows semi-trucks to have a more direct shipping route to local businesses. (Robbie Wroblewski

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