The City of Edwardsville has been awarded a $21.24 million federal grant to undertake the Goshen Road & Liberty Trail Multimodal Transportation project, Mayor Art Risavy announced Wednesday, June 26. This project will transform the Edwardsville area’s growing southeastern corridor with road improvements and much-sought safety, environmental and connectivity enhancements.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the City as one of Illinois’ recipients of the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funding. 

“This is a significant federal grant for Edwardsville, allowing us to set in motion this long-sought and impactful project in our southeastern corridor,” Mayor Art Risavy said. “We are thrilled and grateful to everyone who shared our vision for how transformative these improvements will be. We cannot overstate the importance of the support and guidance provided by our congressional and legislative officials, as well as numerous state, local and business partners. I’d like to specifically express our gratitude to U.S. Sens. Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth; U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski, Mike Bost and Mary Miller; Illinois Sens. Erica Harriss and Jason Plummer; and Illinois Reps. Charlie Meier and Katie Stuart; and Edwardsville Township Supervisor Kevin Hall and Pin Oak Township officials Robert Helms, Seth Joy, Jay Kohlmiller and Kathy Long.”

With this project, the City will launch a series of infrastructure improvements that will provide safety, connectivity and environmental enhancements along Goshen Road and surrounding areas. Among the planned improvements are:

• Reconstruction of 1 mile of Goshen Road spanning the distance between the Edwardsville YMCA Meyer Center, 7348 Goshen Road, and the Sports Park Drive entrance to Plummer Family Park. The work will include green medians.
• The addition of the Liberty Trail, a 2.5-mile shared use path along the north side of Goshen Road from Old Troy Road to Plummer Family Park, including solar rapid flashing beacons. 
• Reconstruction of approximately 0.3 miles of Old Troy Road from Goshen Road to Madison County Transit’s Goshen Trail and the addition of a shared use path connecting Goshen Road and Goshen Trail.
• The installation of roundabouts with clearly marked pedestrian crossings at three Goshen Road intersections – at Gerber Road, District Drive and Ridge View Road. Roundabouts have long been shown to increase safety for pedestrians and drivers and provide efficiencies in terms of reduced emissions and lower maintenance costs.
• Electric vehicle charging stations at Plummer Family Park and bicycle parking along the shared use path.
• Stream bank stabilization at the Goshen Road culverts.

The Goshen Road & Liberty Trail project has been a priority for City officials, particularly amid steady residential, public and commercial growth in Edwardsville’s southeastern section and along the I-55 corridor. The improvements will enhance access for public safety providers throughout the area, as well as drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

This was the City’s third attempt to win federal RAISE funding, which helps communities complete critical transportation infrastructure projects. The effort was led by City Engineer Ryan Zwijack and Economic and Community Development Coordinator James Arnold, working with the engineering firm Oates Associates. The City’s application drew widespread backing and letters of support from more than two dozen congressional, legislative and local leaders, as well as area school districts, businesses and organizations.

“I’m pleased to see more federal funding coming home to Illinois to improve our state’s infrastructure,” Sen. Durbin said.  “With this RAISE grant, Edwardsville will see major improvements along Goshen Road and Liberty Trail, including new roundabouts, more electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and new shared-use paths.”

“Investments in our infrastructure create good-paying union jobs, improve safety and drive economic development in our communities,” Congresswoman Budzinski said.  “I’m thrilled to announce that the City of Edwardsville will be receiving more than $21.2 million in funding from a highly competitive grant program to bring Goshen Road and Old Troy Road into the 21st century. These resources won’t just fix our roads – they will help to mitigate flooding, support electric vehicle charging and improve access to biking and public transportation. I was proud to advocate for these funds with the Department of Transportation and I can’t wait to see the transformative impact they have on the Edwardsville community.”

“I’m proud to see this federal funding benefitting Illinoisans by repairing and enhancing our local infrastructure in Edwardsville,” Sen. Duckworth said. “This investment will go a long way in modernizing bus stops, updating streetlights to solar lighting, adding more EV stations and bicycle parking facilities while fixing flood damaged infrastructure throughout Edwardsville. I will continue work alongside Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Budzinski to ensure that our communities are receiving the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”

“RAISE grants are extremely competitive. The City of Edwardsville put forward a very comprehensive plan that showed how this significant taxpayer investment would increase safety and help our region grow in a thoughtful manner. As the many local units of government in my district know, I do not sign on to spend taxpayer money unless there is a real need and a return for the average taxpayer – that is undoubtedly the case here. This is how government should work – local, state, and federal office holders putting politics aside to get things done for their constituents,” Illinois Sen. Jason Plummer said. “The leadership and staff at the City of Edwardsville deserve a tremendous amount of credit for their hard work, diligence, and success on this project.”