Illinois budget impasse could halt work on Mississippi River bridge [View all]

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Ugh. Stop being such an asshole Bruce.

A state budget stalemate in Illinois could halt construction work on a $81 million project to build a new two-lane bridge to carry U.S. 52/Illinois 84 from Sabula, Iowa, to Savanna, Ill.

The Illinois Department of Transportation recently sent notices to contractors instructing them to stop work on the project at the end of the business day Thursday unless a budget agreement has been passed, according to construction field engineer Ali Mansour.

The DOT warns that if there isn't a budget compromise by the July 1 start of the fiscal year, about $2 billion in ongoing road construction projects will shut down. Officials have said that means continued commuting headaches, safety hazards and "avoidable" extra costs.

Illinois’ first-term Republican governor and Democrats who control the General Assembly have not agreed to a budget deal for the current fiscal year, which started June 30.