U.S. 20-Mill Road Intersection Work in Cherry Valley Begins May 1
Summary
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a $25.5 million project to improve the intersection of U.S. 20 and Mill Road in Cherry Valley will begin May 1, 2026. The project, the final component of the $302.4 million I-39 corridor improvement program, will widen U.S. 20 from four to six lanes between the I-39 interchange and just east of the Kishwaukee River, replace the U.S. 20 bridges over the Kishwaukee River, and upgrade the Mill Road intersection with dedicated turn lanes and updated traffic signals. All work is expected to be completed by June 2028, with all lanes open during winter 2026-27 before construction resumes in spring 2027.
“The $25.5 million project will widen U.S. 20 from four to six lanes between the I-39 interchange to just east of the Kishwaukee River.”
About this source
GovPing monitors IL DOT News for new transportation regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 33 changes logged to date.
What changed
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced the start of a $25.5 million highway improvement project at the U.S. 20 and Mill Road intersection in Cherry Valley, Illinois. The project includes widening U.S. 20 from four to six lanes, replacing Kishwaukee River bridges, adding dedicated turn lanes at Mill Road, and realigning a service road to connect with Mill Road. Traffic will be reduced to one lane on U.S. 20 through the work zone with multiple lane shifts expected.
Motorists and transportation companies operating in the Rockford-Cherry Valley area should anticipate delays and plan alternate routes. The project is funded through Governor JB Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois capital program, which has allocated $33.2 billion statewide for transportation improvements over six years.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
U.S. 20-Mill Road intersection work in Cherry Valley begins May 1
Final project in $302.4 million I-39 corridor improvement will replace Kishwaukee River bridges
April 23, 2026
CHERRY VALLEY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that a project to improve the intersection of U.S. 20 and Mill Road in Cherry Valley will begin Friday, May 1. The work is the final project of a $302.4 million, multiyear reconstruction of the Interstate 39 corridor in Rockford and Cherry Valley.
The $25.5 million project will widen U.S. 20 from four to six lanes between the I-39 interchange to just east of the Kishwaukee River. Additional work will replace the U.S. 20 bridges crossing the Kishwaukee River and upgrade the U.S. 20 and Mill Road intersection with dedicated turn lanes and updated traffic signals. Also, the service road that runs along U.S. 20 will be realigned farther north to meet with Mill Road.
Traffic impacts include one lane being open on U.S. 20 through the work zone. There will be multiple lane shifts along U.S. 20 and Mill Road to reconstruct the intersection and replace the bridges. All lanes will be open to traffic during the winter before lane closures and shifts return in spring 2027. All work is expected to be completed by June 2028.
The U.S. 20 work is part of a larger, multiyear $302.4 million project made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital program to improve I-39 between the U.S. 20/Harrison Avenue interchange and Blackhawk Road. Another project in progress is the expansion of I-39 from four to six lanes with an accessory lane between U.S. 20 and Harrison Avenue and replacing several bridges in the corridor. That $125.9 million project is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
Previous projects included the $98.8 million reconstruction of the I-39 and U.S. 20 interchange that was completed in 2024 and the $44.3 million conversion of the Harrison Avenue/U.S. 20 and I-39 interchange from a cloverleaf to a diverging diamond design was completed in 2025. More information about the I-39 reconstruction project is available on the project webpage.
Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zone areas, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.
Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve 7,107 lane miles of highway and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck as part of Rebuild Illinois, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Six of Rebuild Illinois include almost $20.8 billion of improvements statewide to 21,309 lane miles of highway, 815 bridges and 1,181 additional safety improvements.
For IDOT District 2 updates, follow us on X at @IDOTDistrict2 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.
Kristophere’ Owens
IDOT
- Kristophere.Owens@Illinois.gov
- 815-640-1027
Paul Wappel
IDOT
- Paul.wappel@illinois.gov
- (217) 685-0082
Share
Copy URL
Latest stories
Southwest Highway at Harlem Avenue intersection improvements begin May 4 CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that improvements to the intersection of Southwest Highway (Illinois 7) at Harlem Avenue (Illinois 43) in Worth and Chicago Ridge will begin, weather permitting, Monday, May 4. illinois-department-of-transportation.prezly.com Milwaukee Avenue bridge painting begins April 27 CHICAGO –The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that cleaning and painting of the bridge carrying Milwaukee Avenue (Illinois 21) over Dempster Street (U.S. 14) in Niles will require lane closures on Dempster Street beginning, weather permitting, Monday, April 27. illinois-department-of-transportation.prezly.com Bridge inspection to close eastbound I-64 over Wabash River April 27 GRAYVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that all lanes of eastbound Interstate 64 over the Wabash River near Grayville and the Illinois-Indiana state line will be closed beginning at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27, for a scheduled routine bridge inspection and minor maintenance work. illinois-department-of-transportation.prezly.com
Related changes
Get daily alerts for IL DOT News
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from IL DOT.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when IL DOT News publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.