The Village of Peoria Heights will be receiving nearly $960,000 in federal funding for a new water main in the Illinois Route 29 corridor, secured through the office of Congressman Eric Sorensen.
The funds targeted for Peoria Heights represent a portion of the $123 million delivered by Sorensen, a Democrat serving Illinois’ sprawling 17th Congressional District, through the U.S. House’s Community Project Funding process.
“Central Illinois is a special place, and it is my job to make sure my neighbors can live and grow a family in communities that are sustainable for future generations. One of the ways I can make sure that happens is by bringing tax dollars back home to support middle-class families,” said Sorensen.
“We are lucky here in Peoria Heights to have leaders in Washington, D.C., fighting on our behalf to find funding for projects not only of local but regional benefit,” said Peoria Heights Mayor Michael Phelan.
“It is very difficult for a small community to raise those kinds of dollars on its own. This is a critical investment along one of the primary commuter roads in this part of central Illinois, and Congressman Sorensen, to his enormous credit, recognized the importance of lining up the funding for this project now, in advance of the nearly $70 million rehabilitation and reinvention of that highway through Gov. Pritzker’s capital program.
“This effort will guarantee a safe and reliable water supply in an older neighborhood that is getting renewed attention from the Village. The residents there deserve the same quality infrastructure and level of services as those who live up the hill in Peoria Heights. We thank Congressman Sorensen for recognizing that, and for again going to bat for us here in Peoria Heights.”
The $959,752 for this project was included in the fiscal year 2024 federal appropriations bill signed into law this month by President Biden.
Currently, there is no timeline on the water main project. The Illinois Route 29/Galena Road project is tentatively set for groundbreaking, if everything proceeds according to plan, in the second half of this decade.