News & Closures
For a map of other current and upcoming construction projects on our local roads, please click here:
http://logancounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=df6fed516adf474c9dc04239afa5db65
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ROAD MAINTENANCE CREW
June, 2024 - The Logan County Highway Department is accepting applications for a road maintenance position. Duties will include equipment operation and general labor needed to keep the County Highway system in good repair. Applicants must be trustworthy and self-motivated. Successful candidates will have good communications skills and be able to work with limited supervision. Applicants should have a background in construction and experience working with others to accomplish assigned tasks.
Preferred experience includes the operation of tandem axle trucks and various construction equipment. Experience with truck-mounted snowplows is also preferred. Applicants should be familiar with preventative maintenance procedures of trucks and equipment.
Class B CDL with air brake endorsement is required within first 6 months of employment. Residence in Logan County is required. E.O.E.
Applications, full job descriptions, and wage information are available at 529 S. McLean Street, Lincoln, Illinois. (217) 732-3059
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TOP HAT WIND FARM CONSTRUCTION
May, 2024 - The next phase of roadway construction at the Top Hat wind farm will begin soon. The project will be located in eastern Logan County in the area of Beason, Chestnut, and Latham. All the construction will be south of IL Route 10 and north of IL Route 121.
Road construction is expected to begin in late May and will last through the Fall. This road construction will provide access to various wind turbine sites. Approximately 28 miles of roadways will be strengthened in 2024.
To accommodate these roadway improvements, road closures will be required over the next few months. Most culvert installations will be completed with a daytime closure. However, some larger culverts may require multi-day closures. Asphalt paving on County Highway 6 through Chestnut will be constructed using lane closures. Cement stabilization on the various roads will require closures that may last up to 1 week.
Signs and barricades will be erected to inform traffic of these road closures. Local residents will still have access to their homes.
Construction of the tower foundations is expected to begin later this year, and erection of the turbines is expected to take place in 2025. A total of 60 wind turbines are expected to be constructed.
Anyone interested in the most current road closure information can receive daily email updates. To be included on the distribution list for the initial phase of road construction, please contact Beniach Construction.
Shannon@beniachconstruction.com
Other project questions for the Top Hat wind farm can be directed to TopHatWind@invenergy.com, or contact Bret Aukamp at the Logan County Highway Department.
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ROAD CONSTRUCTION BETWEEN NEW HOLLAND AND MIDDLETOWN
Beginning May 13, 2024, a portion of County Highway 15 will be resurfaced. This road is also known as 100th Avenue and as the New Holland-Middletown Blacktop. 5 miles of the road will be resurfaced from IL Route 10 to 5th Street in Middletown. Traffic will be reduced to one lane during daytime construction activities.
The project was awarded to Truman L. Flatt & Sons, located in Springfield, Illinois. The low bid on the project was $1,703,167. Logan County will use federal transportation program funds for 80% of the cost. Local property tax funds will be used for the remaining 20% local share.
Cooperation and patience are always appreciated during the construction season as we continue to improve the safety of our roads and bridges. Status of our local construction projects can be found on the News & Closures page of the County Highway Department website. https://logancountyil.gov/highway
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CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON RURAL 5TH STREET ROAD PROJECT
Logan County has been discussing the need for a road improvement project on 1550th Street, west of Lincoln for many years. The road is commonly referred to as 5th Street Road. Later this Fall, construction will begin on 5 miles of this project between 100th Avenue and 600th Avenue. The contractor will initially work on extending and replacing the various culverts. Earthwork and construction of the roadbed will take place in 2024.
Additional Right-of-Way was purchased from the adjoining landowners in 2012. The power poles and other utilities were relocated in 2022 to make room for the new roadway and ditches.
The road will have a wider surface, wide shoulders, and new culverts. Because the roadway will be completely re-constructed, through-traffic will not be able to use the road during the project. Local residents will still have access. But there will be times when alternate routes will be required.
The 5th Street Road project has been part of the County’s long-term transportation plan for many years. With funding from the Sugar Creek wind farm and the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the Logan County Board was able to leverage funding from outside sources to help award this construction contract. Although traffic will be disrupted during the construction, the County is fortunate to have the opportunity to begin building this long-awaited project.
For more detailed information, please contact the Logan County Highway Department at (217) 732-3059 or at baukamp@logancountyil.gov
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FUNDING FOR 5th STREET ROAD CURVES
The Logan County Highway Department is continuing to develop roadway improvements for the 5th Street Road corridor. Six miles of the roadway between 100th and 700th Avenues are in the final stages of utility negotiation and relocation efforts. Construction on that section should begin in 2023.
Another 2.4 miles of the corridor are currently being designed. This section extends from 700th Avenue to the I-55 bridge near the City of Lincoln. This section also includes the curves near Kickapoo Creek.
These curves have a long history of vehicle accidents and most crashes are concentrated at the curves west of the Kickapoo Creek bridge. The curves do not meet current design standards. Vehicles travelling 5th Street Road are not able to drive through the curves at a consistent speed. Many of the accidents are considered roadway departures which often result in serious injuries. Logan County was able to identify this as a safety issue and submitted an application to IDOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program. This is a competitive program throughout the State of Illinois to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
Logan County was recently selected to receive $840,236 of these safety funds to re-align the 5th Street curves west of Kickapoo Creek. Re-alignment of these curves will be completed as part of the 2.4 mile roadway improvement project. It is our goal that this project will increase the level of safety for all users and reduce the number of serious accidents on our local road system.
Construction of 5th Street Road between 700th Avenue and the I-55 bridge is currently planned for 2026.
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COUNTY MOVING FORWARD WITH RURAL 5TH STREET ROAD PROJECT
March, 2020 - For a long time, Logan County has been discussing the need for a road improvement project on 1550th Street, west of Lincoln. The road is commonly referred to as 5th Street Road. Six miles of this long-awaited project is expected to become reality within the next few years.
Design work began in 1996 on the rural section of 5th Street Road. Since then, the County has continued to make slow, but steady progress on the project. Unfortunately, the cost of construction has not allowed for the project to move forward.
The County has focused on the western portion of 5th Street Road, between 700th and 100th Avenues. Design engineering began in the late 1990’s. Some of the culverts were replaced in 2009 using federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds, but the remainder of the roadway still needs to be upgraded. In recent years, the Sugar Creek wind farm has been interested in the area. The 5th Street Road corridor is the logical route for most of their construction traffic.
In early 2019, Logan County negotiated a road use agreement with Liberty Power, the owner of Sugar Creek wind farm. Sheridan and West Lincoln Townships, who currently have jurisdiction of 5th Street Road, also negotiated road use agreements.
According to those agreements, Sugar Creek wind farm is allowed to use 5th Street Road for their construction activity with only minimal improvements to the road. The road is currently posted with a 35 mile per hour speed limit for the construction work zone. With the additional construction traffic, this speed limit should help to reduce the potential for vehicle accidents. 5th Street Road will be closed to through-traffic at various times during the wind farm construction. Local residents, school buses, emergency services, and mail delivery will still have access.
In lieu of making pre-construction improvements, the developer has paid $2M to Logan County. That funding will be used to supplement the County’s funds to make the construction of the 5th Street Road project possible.
Construction plans have already been developed, and most of the Right-of-Way has been acquired along the 5th Street corridor. Minor updates will be needed to bring the construction plans up to current standards. The County Board is continuing to work with Hanson Professional Services to complete that work. The remaining design work will be done over the next few months while the wind farm is being constructed.
Construction of the Sugar Creek wind farm will take place through much of 2020. At the end of the wind farm construction, a roadway contractor will begin the work on the 5th Street Road project. That construction will likely begin in late 2020 and will continue in 2021. Six miles of roadway will be re-constructed on a new alignment. The road will have a wider surface, wide shoulders, and new culverts. Because the roadway will be completely re-constructed, through traffic will not be able to use the road during the project.
The 5th Street Road project has been part of the County’s long-term transportation plan for many years. With the help of Liberty Power and the Sugar Creek wind farm, the Logan County Board is able to leverage funding from a private developer to help complete this project. Although traffic will be disrupted during the construction, the County is fortunate to have this opportunity to complete the project.
For more detailed information, please contact the Logan County Highway Department at (217) 732-3059 or at baukamp@logancountyil.gov