Illinois to spend $27M on southern highway fixes

HARRISBURG - Illinois will spend nearly $27 million on improvements to a highway in some of the state's southern counties.

The construction project on the north-south Route 45 is part of a state jobs program that aims to reduce unemployment and upgrade old infrastructure throughout the state, WSIL-TV reported.

Work will include widening part of the highway to four lanes in Saline County from Route 142 to Texas City Road. Crews will also patch and resurface a 4-mile stretch of highway in Williamson county between Stonefort and Route 166.