Rockford to reconstruct Chestnut Street, add bike lanes
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A roughly 2-mile stretch of downtown roadway will be rebuilt with new features meant to make the area safer and easier to travel for bicyclists.
The reconstruction of Chestnut Street between its connections at West State and East State streets has been part of the city’s vision for years, but the project got a boost this week from a nearly $16.4 million federal grant that will help fund the $22.36 million project. The remaining cost will be paid by the state, city and Rockford Mass Transit District.
The project includes road improvements on Chestnut/Walnut Street, bidirectional bike lanes, improvements to the Chestnut Street bridge, streetscape improvements and decorative lighting. The federal funding will also help pay for the purchase of three electric buses, recharging infrastructure and the creation of an RMTD downtown circulator bus route.
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“This federal funding will be a tremendous boost to Rockford by better connecting families to work, school and recreational opportunities downtown,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said in a news release. “I’m especially pleased this funding will support clean and reliable transportation infrastructure, including electric buses.”
Construction is slated for the city’s 2027 fiscal year, meaning it wasn’t included in the massive five-year capital plan approved by City Council on Monday night. That $248 million plan is the largest in the city’s history.
The city will reduce the number of driving lanes from three to two on the eastbound, one-way street to add the bike lanes to the south side of the street.
Kyle Saunders, the city’s director of public works, said the project is “huge for downtown.” The bicycle and pedestrian features will connect to downtown amenities such as the Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront and Rockford Conference Center, the UW Health Sports Factory, BMO Harris Bank Center and the future Hotel Kate on South Madison Street, he said.
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“Improving and modernizing downtown Rockford with this federal funding will help residents and businesses owners throughout the area while supporting good-paying local jobs,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said in a news release. “I’ll keep working with Senator Durbin to make sure Rockford and communities all across Illinois receive the federal support they deserve to create more jobs while improving transportation options for working Illinoisans.”
The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. The city partnered with the Region 1 Planning Council and the state Department of Transportation to apply for the grant.
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This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.
