BENTON, IL- Work will begin on the long-awaited expansion of Illinois Route 13 between Marion and Carbondale tomorrow, and State Sen. Gary Forby (D-Benton) believes the project will have a positive economic impact on Southern Illinois, creating jobs and strengthening regional commerce.

"This is one of the major projects funded by the capital construction bill we passed last spring," Forby said. "It’s great that we’ve been able to put people to work so quickly."

"This is one of the major projects funded by the capital construction bill we passed last spring"The project, a more than $100 million investment, will enable Route 13 to accommodate more traffic by adding two additional lanes. The six-lane road will relieve congestion on the heavily traveled corridor between Marion and Carbondale. Because Carbondale does not have direct Interstate highway access, many travelers take the road from Marion to Carbondale. Route 13 also connects residents of smaller communities like Carterville, Crainville and Energy to shopping outlets in the larger communities.

"This project will relieve congestion in a major regional commercial-industrial corridor," said David Phelps, Assistant Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation. "It’s really an investment in all the counties of Southern Illinois, and the cooperation of the governor and state legislators has made it possible."

"I did vote for the compromise budget, but we have to do better"Sen. Forby’s two highest priorities have been the passage of a capital construction bill and establishing a responsible budget that allows the state to pay providers on time. After a decade of delays, the $31 billion capital plan passed both houses of the General Assembly and was signed into law this year. Forby continues to advocate for a budget that will protect vital social services like education and health care, as well as allow the state to pay vendors and service providers in a timely fashion.

"In my opinion we’ve done half our job," Forby said. "The capital bill puts people to work with projects like the Route 13 expansion. But, we need to get back to Springfield and pass a budget that requires the state to pay doctors, health facilities, utility companies and local governments on time."

Earlier this year, the Illinois Senate passed a plan that would have generated billions of dollars to fill the state’s massive budget deficit. Forby was a strong supporter of this plan and refused to compromise until the only other option was a total shutdown of state government. Members of the Illinois House never called the Senate plan for a vote, instead pushing a compromise that relied heavily on borrowing and not paying bills on time. With support from the governor and the threat of a government shutdown, this plan passed.

"I did vote for the compromise budget, but we have to do better," Forby said. "Illinois citizens who find themselves deeply in debt have to cut spending, get a second job to make more money or a combination of both. State government should operate the same way. We can’t keep borrowing forever."