Woodford County engineer Lindell Loy explains County Highway 13 project specifications to attendees of a March 27 open house at Roanoke-Benson High School. Plans call for the widening and resurfacing of the four-mile stretch of road from Illinois Route 116 to U.S. Route 24. Spanning the tables is a panoramic view of that section of Highway 13. (Photo by Holly Eitenmiller / for Chronicle Media)

When one of the oldest roads in Woodford County, Highway 13, was built large farm equipment and semi-tractors weren’t factored into the plan.

They are now as county officials edge closer to improving the 19-foot-wide Class III route.

“Anyone who has driven a large truck on this road can attest that its current width is way too narrow and unsafe,” said Jason Hodel of Hodel Brothers Farms. “It is not uncommon for for oncoming semi-tractors or large trucks to hit each other’s mirrors when meeting each other’s.”

With no viable shoulder to rely on, Hodel said, these vehicles are faced with no other choice than to take the hit.

Making matters worse, the Panther Creek bridge at Fourth Street bottlenecks to a degree that traffic must stop to allow large vehicles to pass.

The Panther Creek bridge is situated where Hwy. 13 jogs slightly east when crossing Front Street, making it a difficult turn for large vehicles.

“Hwy. 13 is very narrow, and we need to widen it for today’s farm traffic and other vehicular traffic,” Woodford County engineer Lindell Loy said. “A lot of farmers use semis to haul grain and for two large vehicles to pass on this road, it’s tight.”

The project began in December 2016 when the county hired Peoria-based engineering firm Maurer-Stutz to to conduct the initial phase. Firm representatives were on hand at the open house, along with technical displays and documents illustrating the plans.

The highway will be resurfaced and widened by 10 feet of right-of-way on each side, with five feet on each side becoming shoulder, and the additional five to accommodate drainage ditches.

Within the village, right-of-way will be limited to small strips as part of roadway realignment. A new sidewalk will be installed on the east side of Main Street from Route 116 to Front Street.

Woodford County officials say federal funds will provide 80 percent of the estimated $5 to $7 million Highway 13 widening and improvement project. State of Illinois TARP funds are expected to total $360,090. (Photo courtesy of Woodford County)

Additionally, the bridge over Panther Creek at Front Street will be rehabilitated and improved, as well as the intersections at Routes 116 and 24. The location where construction begins will depend on which segments of right of way have been purchased and where construction plans are approved.

The project will begin around 2021, Loy said, and will likely be improved in one-mile segments. Federal funds will provide 80 percent of the estimated $5 to $7 million project. State of Illinois TARP funds will provide $90,000 per project mile, plus $45,000 per intersection, totaling $360,090.

The Hwy. 13 improvement plan has garnered support from businesses like Hodel Brothers Farms, county emergency services and local organizations.

“With the improvement of this portion of (highway), a 4.4 mile, continuous north-south major collector will be upgraded to an 80,000-pound truck route and provide all season access to the local agricultural and commercial industries that rely on the highway for shipping,” the Roanoke Farmer’s Association wrote in a letter of support.

Outline of improvement project being discussed for Highway 13 in Woodford County. If approved, the project would begin in 2021. (Courtesy of Woodford County)

More efficient movement of commuters and goods, and improved safety and access for over-the-road and emergency vehicles, were among the benefits listed in that letter. Currently, spring weight limits prohibit most commercial traffic, due to the softness of the roads at that time.

“Weight limits in late winter and early spring basically shut down any movement of our grain and force us to lay off some of our labor force,” Hodel said. “With an improvement in the road on the horizon, we will be making additional improvements to our grain storage infrastructure resulting in additional economic activity, enhanced property tax revenue and less unproductive days.”

—-Highway 13 project seen as critical for safety, economy —