By early afternoon on Wednesday July 18th, a motorist will have the ability to drive through the entirety of Galesburg without being stopped by a train.
The John Sibley Sr. Underpass on East Main Street will be open to traffic by noon Wednesday. Director of Planning and Public Works for the City of Galesburg, Wayne Carl tells WGIL that the majority of the project has been completed. “Last week they got to put in the black epoxy paint into the “Welcome to Galesburg” (sign),” Carl said. “It shows up a lot better than before when it was just the plain concrete. There will still be some landscaping and some trees to plant in October – right now it’s just too hot. For the most part, everything will be done on Wednesday, but there’ll be some minor items and maybe some landscaping later this year.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held Wednesday morning starting at 10:00 am under the underpass. Appearances will be made by Governor Bruce Rauner, Representative Dan Swanson, BNSF Officials, and Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. Tony Franklin will speak on behalf of the Sibley family, and then a processional with Sibley’s wife Vicky, and Illinois State Police will pass through the finished project. Mayor John Pritchard and Executive Director for the Galesburg Chamber of Commerce Jessica Linder will also speak. The ceremony is expected to last an hour and a half – with barricades being removed and open to traffic by noon on Wednesday, July 18th.
YOU CAN HEAR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE DEDICATION CEREMONY WEDNESDAY AT 10AM ON WGIL AND WGIL.COM.
