The Illinois Department of Transportation had to shut down a major highway through Greene County on April 14th.
The Greene Prairie Press reports that traffic had to be re-routed off of U.S. 67 through the downtown square in Carrollton on Thursday, April 14th due to the threat of a building collapse near the highway.
U.S.67, which cuts through the eastern portion of Carrollton’s downtown square and business district, was blocked off for more than 4 hours because a building at the intersection on the northeast corner of U.S. 67 and Illinois Route 108 had begun to sway in the wind.
The over 100-year old structure had recently been gutted by ownership with only the outer brick facade remaining without support. According to the Greene Prairie Press, the building owner’s contractors called Carrollton Public Works Director Steven Rosentreter to report that they feared the building may collapse due to high winds and asked that the local police department block off the roadway. Due to the road being a state highway, Carrollton Police Chief Mike McCartney told the contractors that IDOT would have to be contacted to authorize the road closure.
The road remain closed while the contractors installed steel i-beams to reinforce the building. The building’s owners declined comment to the Greene Prairie Press other than to say the situation was blown out of proportion.