Investments

The Fourth Street Extension road project opened to traffic on Thursday, Aug. 22, just in time for move-in day at the University of Illinois, extending Fourth Street from St. Mary’s Road to Windsor Road. A traffic light at Windsor and Fourth is now operational. From the News-Gazette article: “Research Park Director Laura Frerichs said the new roads will provide access to 30 to 40 years’ worth of developable land. The park has had about one new building per year since it opened in 2001. ‘We want to continue that progress,’ Frerichs said. The project includes the extension of Hazelwood and Gerty drives to the east to meet the new Fourth Street. Everything should be open by Sept. 6, according to the city of Champaign.

One of the key factors in the expansion of the University of Illinois Research Park is the extension of Fourth Street to connect St. Mary’s and Windsor Roads. The concrete for this road was poured on Thursday, Sept. 13. From the News-Gazette: “For 12 hours on Thursday, workers poured, smoothed and worked the concrete that will become a 4,100-foot segment of a street that officials hope will spur the continued development of the University of Illinois Research Park.”