Belleville News-Democrat, Thu, Oct. 30, 2003

Area residents oppose outer belt proposal

BY NICKLAUS LOVELADY

Jack Norman of Columbia organized Stop 158 this summer to inform fellow residents about the possibility of Illinois 158 being extended from Columbia to Troy.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has proposed to reserve a 37-mile-long, 400-foot-wide corridor for an outer belt.

Norman organized a meeting Wednesday night in Columbia, and about 50 people from Monroe, St. Clair and Madison counties attended to understand how they would be affected.

No one at the meeting spoke positively about the proposal. "We flat-out don't want this," said Sue Schmidt of Columbia. "I bought a home in the country with hopes of staying in the country."

The Transportation Department spent $2.3 million to conduct a study, which concluded that with the current growth rate, expansion will spread into the rural areas of Troy and Columbia, said project coordinator Candace Sauermann.

"This is a planning tool for things that are coming. Our analysts show a strong need for transportation," said Sauermann. "Development is coming regardless of the corridor protection."

Once the department selects an official corridor, the homes that lie within those boundaries would be appraised for their value.

The state could spend between $170 million to $240 million to build the outer belt.

Sauermann said the state is expected to hold three public meetings in November about the project.

A decision about the proposed corridor will be made next year. If a corridor protection is established, Sauermann said construction won't begin until for another 10 years.

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