Macomb, IL – After two years and 270,000 hours of work, Route 336 is officially open to traffic. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the final stretch of the four-lane highway connecting Macomb to Quincy.
Macomb Chamber Transportation Committee Chair Bruce Biagini says it will help enhance economic development in the area. He says it is hard to tell who might come into the region now, because the four-lane road connects Illinois to Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado.
Biagini says Route 336 gives the Western Illinois region a "competitive advantage" over the Chicago region, because travel will not be as congested. But Biagini says the work is not yet done. He says there are still three projects that need to be completed in the area: the Macomb Bypass, the Macomb-to-Peoria corridor, and a Macomb to St. Louis corridor.
Additional Information:
*State Representative Jil Tracy says Route 336 became a reality, because of the hard work of the private individuals, like Tom Oakly and Bruce Biagini, behind the project. Tracy says it is those people who understand the importance of progress, safety, and developing a good quality of life.
*State Representative Rich Myers (R-Colchester) says Route 336 is going to be a great transportation mode for the western Illinois region. Myers says Route 336 will provide people with a smooth, convenient, and efficient road.
*State Senator John Sullivan (D-Rushville) says Route 336 was made possible because of the people who passed a capital bill that included this project. Sullivan says the state needs to pass another capital bill to complete other road projects in the region.
*The cost for the project from Macomb to Carthage was more than $120 million.
*To hear part of the news conference, click the audio link above