Pleasant Hill Road work delayed as Carbondale, SIU prepare for fall traffic
Pleasant Hill Road reconstruction in Carbondale has been pushed back several weeks, but the project is still expected to overlap with SIU’s fall semester.
Reconstruction on approximately 1.5 miles of Pleasant Hill Road in Carbondale has been delayed by several weeks, but the project is still expected to extend into Southern Illinois University’s fall semester.
SIU reported the delay on July 9, 2026. Once work begins, construction is expected to take about three months. Officials have not announced a specific revised construction start date.
What drivers should expect
The project covers Pleasant Hill Road between Union Hill Road and McLafferty Road. The current plan calls for one lane to remain open throughout construction through electric traffic control, including access to SIU Farms entrances.
Officials have not described the project as requiring a full road closure. Drivers traveling through the work zone should still allow extra time and be prepared for alternating traffic or other temporary changes. Depending on the destination and construction staging, some motorists may choose an alternate route.
The timing could matter especially to commuters, university employees, students and families traveling near the SIU area. SIU’s 2026–2027 academic calendar lists Monday, August 17, 2026, as the start of the fall semester. Because the project is expected to continue into the semester, Pleasant Hill Road traffic patterns could change as campus-related travel increases.
What the project includes
The planned reconstruction is intended to improve the road surface and provide more space for vehicles and bicycles. The city’s project information says travel lanes will be widened from 10 feet to 11 feet, while existing 1-foot shoulders will be replaced with 8-foot shoulders.
The work also includes a new asphalt surface, bike lanes, driveway improvements and culvert work. The Illinois Department of Transportation’s letting summary describes hot-mix asphalt resurfacing, widening, shoulder work, driveway improvements and culvert improvements on Pleasant Hill Road.
Cost and next steps
The estimated project cost is $1.212 million. The city project page lists approximately $1.010 million in Illinois Department of Transportation Surface Transportation funds and a $202,000 city match.
Samron Midwest is listed as the contractor. The city’s project page still shows an anticipated spring 2026 start and a completion date of “TBD,” so the newer SIU update is the better guide to the current timing: work has been pushed back, is expected to last about three months and may continue into the fall semester.
Residents and commuters should watch for later updates from Carbondale and SIU about the revised start date, traffic-control details and access near the work zone. For now, Pleasant Hill Road work remains planned, but the exact construction timeline is unsettled.
Sources
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