Herrin Selected for $249,995 Sidewalk and Crossing Project Near Junior High

The Illinois Department of Transportation selected the City of Herrin for a $249,995 Safe Routes to School infrastructure award listing planned pedestrian improvements near Herrin Junior High.

The selection appears in IDOT’s FY 2026 list of selected projects and funding amounts, published May 7, 2026. IDOT lists the City of Herrin as the project sponsor and Herrin Junior High as the impacted school.

Planned work includes sidewalks, ramps and crossings

The project description calls for closing existing sidewalk gaps, installing new curb ramps, adding marked crosswalks and placing new signage. Those are the only construction elements identified in the selected-project document.

IDOT administers Illinois’ Safe Routes to School program, which funds infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects intended to support safer travel to and from schools. The selected listing does not identify Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4 as the award sponsor or administrator.

Location and potential local effect

Herrin Junior High School is located at 700 S. 14th St. in Herrin and is part of Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4. The school address provides location context, but the award document does not establish the project’s precise street limits.

If the project moves forward, the listed improvements could create more continuous walking routes for junior-high students and families, improve accessibility at some crossings through new curb ramps, and give pedestrians and drivers clearer marked crossing points and signs near the school. Nearby residents who walk through the area could also use the improved routes. The records do not support a claim that the project would eliminate all pedestrian hazards or guarantee a specific safety outcome.

Construction timing remains unconfirmed

The IDOT document confirms the selected-project decision, but it does not provide a construction start date or completion date. A review of the City of Herrin’s available minutes and agendas also did not confirm engineering details, local-match requirements, bidding, contracts or construction timing for this project.

Residents, families and drivers should therefore not assume that work will begin immediately. Future city or IDOT records would be needed to establish the final design, any required local contribution, procurement steps, traffic-control arrangements and the construction schedule.

Sources

• Herrin Junior High School official page
• Illinois Safe Routes to School Program