Manley Backs Legislation to Fund I-55/Weber Construction

State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, on Thursday, backed a new capital construction bill, House Bill 3794, which includes $52 million for construction at I-55 and Weber Road in Romeoville.

The bill passed the House in a 97-11 vote Thursday and heads to the Senate for a vote.

“The congestion around I-55 and Weber Road has been a mess for years, and this legislation will help get this project up and running by this summer,” Manley said in a statement issued Friday. “The boost that these projects will give to our economy will not only be felt here in Will County but throughout Illinois. This is an opportunity to create jobs that we cannot pass up.”

This project specifically appropriates funds for a number of projects at the I-55 and Weber Road interchange which are considered shovel-ready and hopefully will begin work this summer. Illinois experienced a very brutal winter that ripped up and further deteriorated roads and bridges across the state, Manley said.

“A strong infrastructure is the key to a strong economy and investments in infrastructure have far-reaching effects on the economic environment,” Manley said. “Illinois’ unemployment rate is slowly decreasing, but we still need to do more to help working families get back on their feet and back to work. The capital bill’s passage yesterday strengthens Illinois’ commitments to creating and attracting good-paying jobs for middle class families in our community.”