McHenry Times

State Representative Steve Reick of Woodstock has announced that a $10 million grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Multi-Year Program will help offset the City of Woodstock’s costs for relocating water and sewer lines during the Route 47 widening project.

Reick explained that when the Route 47 project was first introduced in 2019, the estimated cost to move these utility lines was $6 million. The city set aside this amount, but due to delays and inflation, the cost has risen to at least $16 million. “The extent of the additional cost was totally unanticipated, and without this additional funding the cost increase would have been added to the water and sewer bills of Woodstock ratepayers,” Reick said.

Earlier this year, IDOT announced a program providing $400 million in state funding for local transportation projects, with each project eligible for up to $10 million. By June 2025, more than 1,900 applications had been submitted requesting over $5 billion in total. Out of 223 projects selected for funding, eight—including Woodstock—received the maximum grant amount.

“Route 47 is a vital artery for transportation through Woodstock and McHenry County. This grant recognizes the critical need for small communities to provide for improvements to their infrastructure, and it is also sensitive to the substantial burden that our residents would have borne without assistance,” said Reick. “It took strong and persistent advocacy to get this done, and I’m happy to have played a part along with the City of Woodstock’s team that worked so hard to make the case for this award.”

Reick has served as a Republican member of the Illinois State House since 2017, representing the state’s 63rd House District after succeeding Jack D. Franks.