SPRINGFIELD – On Tuesday afternoon, State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) received unanimous support from the Illinois House Transportation: Regulations, Roads & Bridges Committee for a House Resolution that calls for the construction of the Southwest Connector, a four-lane highway that would expand Illinois Routes 127/154/3 from two to four lanes throughout southwestern Illinois to the metro-east.
Jacobs says he has worked closely with Murphysboro Mayor Will Stephens to move House Resolution 148 through the Rules Committee and through the House’s Transportation Committee.
“Nothing in Springfield is ever easy, but this is a project that would bring much needed expansion of infrastructure and good paying jobs to our region. I appreciate Mayor Will Stephens for all of his hard work on moving this Resolution forward. When we pass Resolution in the House Transportation Committee, we are signaling to the entire House that this is a vital infrastructure improvement,” Jacobs said. “My job is to now move HR 147 through the Illinois House so that we are on record supporting this vital infrastructure improvement.”
Mayor Stephens expressed his appreciation for the cooperation he has received from local legislators supporting the highway construction project.
“As Chairman of the Southwest Connector Task Force, I am grateful to the members of the Transportation Committee for recommending adoption of HR 148 by the Illinois House of Representatives,” Stephens said. “This bi-partisan resolution recognizes the importance of the Southwest Connector and the benefits its construction would bring to the State of Illinois. The Southwest Connector Coalition members will continue to advocate for this important project and look forward to seeing funding for it included in the FY 2024 budget.”
Having cleared the Illinois House Transportation Roads and Bridges Committee, the Resolution now moves to the full Illinois House for consideration.