O'FALLON, Ill. — A video showing a huge line of drivers backed up on Interstate 64 near O'Fallon, Illinois, went viral recently. The point of the video was to show how one lane of a road can be jammed with traffic while the other is moving, but it also drew attention to a dangerous traffic issue.
It caught the attention of U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-District 13).
So, Budzinski sent a letter to Illinois Department of Transportation Chief Omer Osman to make sure he knew about this chronic traffic issue for drivers trying to get to O'Fallon and Shiloh.
She said, "The right-hand turn lane toward O'Fallon is so backed up that it is spilling onto the interstate."
Budzinski continued in her letter, "The backup poses a safety risk for motorists who are looking to turn left toward Shiloh -- because they're forced to navigate through the standstill."
There are plans in the works to improve the area, but Budzinski is asking IDOT to expedite the project.
IDOT Project manager Paul Wrappel said, "The department's working as quickly as we can to complete the final design, but IDOT has to comply with all the legal steps to acquire any necessary land that's needed."
Right now construction on the 2.7-mile project will start in 2025. it's expected to wrap up in 2027.
5 On Your Side will keep you updated on any changes.