Among national, state and local politicians, Kathy Perhay, a Sunnyland Merchant chairwoman, said it best: “Go Sunnyland!”
Perhay, of Tony and Son’s tire and auto repair, was one of many speakers Monday at a press conference at the East Peoria Event Center celebrating the completion of the Sunnyland portion of the Illinois Route 8 reconstruction project — which runs from east of Sunrise Avenue to west of Summit Street in East Peoria.
“The sidewalks are wonderful. We’ve never had sidewalks,” she said. “And we see morning, noon and night, people walking, jogging, biking. It’s going to be wonderful.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony also took place to kick off construction on the East Peoria portion of Route 8 and Summit Street expansion from Oakwood Road to east of Sunrise Avenue. Construction for the Summit Street expansion will begin the first week of September, and the new portion of Route 8 will begin Nov. 15.
The final phase in Washington is estimated to begin in 2012. Combined, all four segments cost $46 million.
“I’m grateful to the legislature for passing the capital bill, which has enabled our state now to have the kinds of resources to continue these very important projects,” said Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. “You ought to feel pretty good today as taxpayers. Your dollars are being well spent. And they’re being spent on creating opportunities, perhaps not necessarily for you all, but for your children and grandchildren.”
Aaron Schock, U.S. Rep., addressed the safety benefits of the reconstruction.
“Many aren’t aware that one of the leading causes of traffic accidents and deaths is actually hazardous road conditions,” he said. “You don’t have to look any further than the photos of the before and after shots to know that the improvements made on this highway significantly increase the safety and traffic flow on this route.”
East Peoria Mayor Dave Mingus gave his thanks at the press conference, as well.
“There’s a quote that reads, ‘The road leading to a goal does not separate you from the destination and is essentially a part of it,’” he said. “This quote is truly applicable to this celebration today. The goal to complete this segment of Route 8 is complete thanks, and I do mean thanks, to a collaborative state and federal effort.”
After the conference, LaHood addressed the importance of the construction from an economic standpoint.
“This is an economic engine. It means jobs, it means development, it means people will locate businesses here,” he said. “It’s really a boom for this area. It will jump start the economy all along this corridor. ... You see what happens; if you build it, they will come.”
