Decatur motorists may finally be getting a break from one of the city’s biggest construction projects.
The City of Decatur says the Brush College Road overpass over Faries Parkway is expected to open to traffic next month, following roughly three years of construction.
The city says the current closure on Brush College Road is needed to pour pavement and install traffic signals for the new intersection connecting Brush College Road with the project’s new “jug handle” roadway. That work is scheduled to continue through August 30.
A ribbon-cutting is planned for early September to mark the completion of the approximately $100 million project. Once the overpass opens, some additional construction work may continue, but the city says it expects traffic lanes to remain open and does not anticipate another complete closure.
The project has been a major undertaking along a roughly 1.21-mile stretch of Brush College Road between William Street and north of Faries Parkway. Construction began in 2023 and is designed to address one of the major transportation bottlenecks in Decatur’s industrial core.
The problem the project is designed to solve has been particularly significant for drivers and the area’s freight traffic. Norfolk Southern trains have historically blocked the Brush College Road and Faries Parkway intersection for more than 18 hours per week, according to the city. The new grade-separated roadway will allow vehicles to travel over the railroad and Faries Parkway rather than waiting for trains to clear the intersection.
The larger project includes more than simply building the bridge. Plans called for improvements along Brush College Road, including additional lanes between William Street and Faries Parkway, replacement of the existing railroad underpass with an overpass, a grade-separated interchange at Faries Parkway, additional turn lanes at William Street and traffic signal and turn-lane improvements near the Archer Daniels Midland James Randall Research Center.
Construction has been divided into multiple stages. The city’s project information shows the first three stages have been completed, with later stages involving pavement work and the bridge structure. The bridge girders and beams are complete, while final roadway and intersection work has been taking place during the summer.
The project has also been supported by a combination of federal, state and local funding. In 2023, the state announced a $10 million award that helped complete the funding package for what was then described as a $75 million Brush College Road overpass project. As construction progressed, the overall project cost has grown to approximately $100 million.
For drivers who have spent the last three years dealing with detours and construction around Brush College and Faries Parkway, the most important part is simple: the wait is almost over.
The City of Decatur says the overpass should be open sometime in September, although motorists should expect some lane closures and finishing work to continue after the bridge opens.
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