Those who travel north on Interstate 255 past Cahokia will need to plan a new route starting Feb. 1.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said it is scheduled to begin its $67 million overhaul of I-255 in St. Clair and Madison counties on Feb. 1.

The north segment – between the Interstate 64 exit and Old Collinsville Road – will be closed in both directions from Feb. 1 to mid-June, IDOT said.

The southern segment, from I-64 to Route 15, will be closed from June until about Thanksgiving.

While Interstates 55/70 and 64 will be the marked detour, depending on direction of travel, the following alternate routes should be considered: Route 3, Route 15, Route 157, Route 158, Route 159 and Route 161.

The project consists of rehabilitating and resurfacing approximately seven miles of I-255 from Collinsville Road to Illinois 15 in two sections with significant bridge repairs, safety improvements and drainage upgrades.

This project will restore the roadway and bridges to a smooth and safe condition for motorists and will support future investment in the region, IDOT says.

This project was awarded to the joint venture of The Kilian Corp. and Keeley & Sons Inc.

Some patchwork will occur along the south section prior to the northern closure to ensure and extend the ability of that section to handle traffic, IDOT said.

IDOT has determined that an interstate closure is the best construction method to use for this project because it ensures the safety of both the workers and the motoring public.

This construction method also provides significant cost and time savings. By closing this stretch of I-255, IDOT is able to save approximately $14 million.

It also allows the work to be accelerated and compressed into one construction season and reduces the overall construction time for a project of this size from four years to 10 months, IDOT said.

Due to lack of investment, I-255 is notorious for being one of the worst roads in the state. Most of the pavement dates back to when the interstate was built in the 1980s. Emergency repairs that inconvenience motorists are frequent because of multiple pavement failures and large potholes.