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Galesburg breaks ground on East Main Street Underpass

“Galesburg is about to get a new front door.” Those words by State Representative Don Moffitt were spoken this morning to a crowd of onlookers, as the city of Galesburg joined with a number of local and national dignitaries to break ground on the long-awaited East Main Street Underpass project. 

After nearly two years of delays, City Engineer Wayne Carl tells WGIL the project is on track to begin construction. 

“The contractor plans to start in September and we should have an awarded contract by then,” Carl says. “We’re estimating two years, so, hopefully August 2018 we’re doing the ribbon cutting here. That’s the plan.” 

Carl says all in all, the project will cost around $26 million with $17.4 million anticipated in construction cost. Mayor John Pritchard also mentioned the area has now been designated as a quiet zone. 

Many speakers this morning praised the collaboration between local and federal government, BNSF officials, private entities and bi-partisan political heads. 

A big nod of praise was given to Moffitt, who has been largely touted for helping to secure funding for the West Main Street Overpass, Bickerdyke Bridge and 11 years ago, the Route 41 Bridge. 

“That day I said that’s one done as we opened Route 41, that’s one down and we have three to go,” Moffit told onlookers. “Not everybody believed it that day that there were three more to be built and that we’d get it done. Well, I hope they’re listening today.”

East Main Street  is expected to remain open until April of 2017. The area will then likely close for a year and half until construction is complete.

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