Monday opening planned for bypass

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[After postponing the planned opening of the west end of the Bill Franks Bypass last week, Illinois Department of Transportation is now hoping to open the highway Monday. Rain will be the only obstacle.

The bypass is predicted to move traffic around the outskirts of Harrisburg and lessen the traffic congestion downtown. A portion of the bypass has been open for some time on state Route 34, removing coal truck congestion from the middle of town.

The only hold up now on opening the portion between Granger Street and Lovers Lane is striping. If there is heavy rain, the striping will not stick properly. If the contractor decides to move on to other projects to wait for better conditions, the Monday opening may not happen, according to IDOT Engineer Larry Henk.

"There were plant calibration issues with the asphalt and that is done. Now we need to make sure we get the paint striper down here and get it striped," Henk said.

When the bypass is opened motorists will find four lanes open between Granger Street to behind the soccer fields. Those four lanes will be separated with a concrete wall. At the point behind the soccer fields the four lanes will converge to two lanes - one east and one west - for about a mile until intersection with state Route 13. There will be only two lanes open at that section until a portion of Poplar Street from the west end of town to Lovers Lane is removed, Henk said.

Part of the project includes the Poplar Street Connector that eastbound traffic can use to reach Illinois Youth Center and business on the west edge of town on Poplar Street. On Monday that connector section will be gravel until it is completed, Henk said.