McLean County committees approve materials letting, engineering agreement, bridge and Route 66 trail IGAs

Bloomington — The McLean County Land Use and Transportation combined committees on Tuesday approved a package of highway and trail actions, including a materials-letting resolution for 2025, a continuing engineering services agreement, an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Downs for Seminary Street work, a bridge fund resolution for Golden Bridge on Lexington-Leroy Road, and an intergovernmental agreement to build a segment of the Route 66 Bike Trail.

The approvals were taken by voice vote and passed unanimously (five in favor, none opposed; one member, Abel, was absent). The committee carried each item forward after staff presentations and brief questions from committee members.

The materials-letting resolution approved payment terms and supplier selection rules for county purchases of aggregates and other maintenance materials for 2025. Jerry, McLean County Highway Department staff, said the annual letting “sets the price for 2025, mainly for, like, aggregates that we use on replacing culverts or, putting aggregate shoulders down on the road.” He said some township orders were tied and resolved by coin flip; Limestone Transit was named as a low bidder for certain stockpiles.

The committee also approved an engineering services agreement with Lewis, Yockey & Brown, Inc. under a general survey contract for right-of-way monument work, property pins and occasional topographic or right-of-way line work. Member Duffy moved the item; Member Loeffler seconded.

On Seminary Street in the Village of Downs, the county approved an intergovernmental agreement under which the highway department will pay the resurfacing portion of a downtown streetscape project that the village plans to design and build using HUD and other funds. Jerry said the county will pay what the resurfacing would have cost had the county completed the 2024 resurfacing work and that the agreement includes a repayment clause if the village does not finish the project by December 2026. He said the village’s design work could require raising or lowering the road profile to meet ADA access to storefronts and that the county will retain maintenance responsibility for the roadway. “It’s basically wider sidewalks,” Jerry said of the village’s streetscape plans.

The committee approved a bridge fund resolution for a replacement of Golden Bridge (Section 23-0044-14-BR) on Lexington-Leroy Road. Jerry presented photographs showing existing deterioration on the original 1933 structure and described plans to replace the older two-span structure with a three-span bridge about 32 feet wide (the existing structure is 28 feet); the new bridge will also be about 20 feet longer, with span lengths of roughly 19 feet, 24 feet and 19 feet, he said. Staff expects a letting in February and noted the need for minor right-of-way acquisitions from nearby landowners.

Finally, the committee approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to allow construction of another segment of the Route 66 Bike Trail near Lexington (Section 24-0001-07-BT). Jerry said this segment, unlike a previously approved section funded with Illinois Transportation Enhancement funds, is funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and will largely follow an old alignment, requiring limited reconstruction aside from intersection work for roadway crossings and ADA compliance.

Votes at a glance

- Item 4A1A — Request approval of resolution for the Dec. 19, 2024 materials letting. Motion by Member Reeves; second by Member Fagan. Outcome: approved (5–0–0; Member Abel absent). - Item 4A1B — Request approval of engineering services agreement with Lewis, Yockey & Brown, Inc. Motion by Member Duffy; second by Member Loeffler. Outcome: approved (5–0–0; Member Abel absent). - Item 4A1C — Request approval of intergovernmental agreement between the Village of Downs and McLean County (Seminary Street downtown streetscape/resurfacing). Motion by Member Duffy; second by Member Reeves. Outcome: approved (5–0–0; Member Abel absent). - Item 4A1D — Request approval of Bridge Fund Resolution for Golden Bridge, Section 23-0044-14-BR (Lexington-Leroy Road). Motion by Member Fagan; second by Member Duffy. Outcome: approved (5–0–0; Member Abel absent). - Item 4A1E — Request approval of intergovernmental agreement between IDOT and McLean County for the Route 66 Bike Trail, Section 24-0001-07-BT. Motion by Member Reeves; second by Member Duffy. Outcome: approved (5–0–0; Member Abel absent).

The committee recorded no formal dissent during the votes. Committee members asked clarifying questions about sidewalk ownership and ADA ramps, bridge width and span configuration, and funding sources for the Route 66 segment. Jerry confirmed the county will continue to maintain the roadway portion of Seminary Street after the village’s streetscape work and that the county’s payment is limited to the resurfacing portion outlined in the agreement. The bridge replacement will widen guardrail-to-guardrail width to 32 feet and set guardrail outside that width, Jerry said.

The committee did not take any action on staffing or budget at the meeting; separate informational items follow.