MARION COUNTY — The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that southbound Interstate 57 between the Jefferson County line and 0.7 miles north of Illinois 161 is scheduled to reopen, weather permitting, by the end of this week.

IDOT confirms crews began removing the concrete barriers through that section Wednesday morning. But unlike the northbound section that reopened last week, this section will take a few more days to fully reopen.

Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, consider alternate routes, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone.

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,000 miles of highway and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Four of Rebuild Illinois included approximately $12.1 billion of improvements statewide on 5,339 miles of highway, 533 bridges and 762 additional safety improvements.