6th Street Reconstruction & Realignment

Our 6^th Street Reconstruction and Realignment Project for the City of Belleville has won a 2026 Merit Award in ACEC Illinois’ Engineering Excellence Awards!

The 6th Street Reconstruction and Realignment project stands out as a transformative milestone for the City of Belleville, culminating decades of planning and persistent effort. This initiative was driven by the urgent need to address high-accident intersections and to enhance the mobility of emergency services throughout the corridor. For years, the City’s Main Street, recognized as the longest municipal Main Street in America, lacked a direct connection to the Illinois State Route 15 expressway. The completion of this project finally established that vital link, significantly improving safety and accessibility for the motoring public.

The contract included utility relocations, construction of new concrete roadways, driveways, sidewalks, curbs, storm sewers, and sanitary sewers. A mixed-use bike trail was also developed, connecting to adjacent trails and promoting alternative transportation options. Intersection safety improvements were implemented at South 6th Street, Centreville Avenue, West Lincoln Street, and West Washington Street, directly targeting some of the City’s most hazardous locations.

To reduce conflict points and streamline traffic flow along the corridor, the roadway needed to be reconstructed and realigned. This required closing Centreville Avenue’s connection to Washington Street, allowing Centreville Avenue to transition smoothly into South 6th Street and connect with Main Street. Additionally, a new right turn lane was added for eastbound West Main Street to southbound 6th Street, which enhanced traffic capacity and improved emergency response times from the nearby Belleville Police Headquarters.

The project’s location within the floodplain, and partially within the floodway, posed significant challenges. To minimize disruption and ensure public safety, the work was executed in carefully planned phases. Coordination was paramount to this project due to the floodplain issues, emergency service response times, right-of-way acquisition, and the Canadian National Railroad tracks adjacent to the project. Adjustments to all utility lines were necessary to coincide with the realignment, both above and below ground, and required close collaboration with Ameren, Illinois American Water, Spectrum Charter, and AT&T.

Since completion, the project has delivered measurable improvements with accident rates being substantially reduced, and the corridor now supports safer, more efficient travel for residents and emergency services alike.