Residents of McLean County have mixed reactions about the possibility of a highway route running between I-74 and I-55. An environmental assessment of the project was discussed during a public hearing Wednesday night at Central Catholic High School.
Bill Brummel is a farmer from Pontiac. Brummel said he thinks there will be economic loss for a lot of people who depend on the land. But, Brummel also said he likes how designers are looking into the idea of bringing in new roads ahead of possible new development in the area.
"It is good planning to stay ahead of the curve. If you wait until there's traffic jams, usually there's houses and then it's too hard to get things built. It's too expensive," said Brummel. "Part of the planning process is to kind of think ahead and get the roads built before there are homes everywhere. I applaud that thought."
John Copadice said he wants to make sure taxpayers are protected and he doesn't want something built that isn't needed.
"I'm not against growth and I'm not against good roads. We all use them," said Copadice. "But, I've seen so much waste of government taxpayer money and this one is hitting pretty close to home."
Capodice said there are other areas the state and federal governments need to spend money on that can make more of a difference for citizens.
The East Side Highway has been discussed since 1994. The roadway would only be built if new development and traffic demonstrated a need for the highway.