It's going to be a rough ride for the rest of this summer on one Peoria's busiest roads. Road Construction begins bright and early Tuesday morning on War Memorial. And, the lane reductions will be leaving drivers looking for detours.

The orange barrels will be blocking a lane of traffic for 20-thousand drivers a day including Sharon Laster.

"It's a busy street and a busy area," Laster says.

That will now be even more bottled up from Sterling to Big Hollow until the end of August.

"A big mess," is how Laster describes the pending lane closures.

And for those whose jobs depend on saving seconds to save lives, it's cause for concern.

"We try to avoid the congestion as much as possible. Here there's really no good way to avoid the congestion," AMT Paramedic Adam Belsley says.

It's a good bet by the end of this week, you'll be driving through orange barrels. That's because two stretches of Interstate 74, two stretches of Route 29 and two stretches of War Memorial will all be under construction.

"July is going to be the busiest time. And, we expect July and August to be the same as far as how busy we're going to be. Many of the jobs will be starting this week or next," IDOT Construction Engineer Omer Osman says.

IDOT advises drivers to add 10 minutes to their commutes if their taking War Memorial. Work starts Thursday on the East Peoria side of 150 at the 116 intersection. That's also when the barrels will line 29 in Pekin. These are stretches of some of the busiest roads in Central Illinois.

"Hectic construction, a lot of congestion trying to get through and make sure people pull to the right and stop," Belsley says.

The stopping part may be easy to achieve as this stimulus work won't wrap up until the winter.

IDOT PRESS RELEASE ON WAR MEMORIAL PEORIA:

PEORIA – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announces that, weather permitting, construction will begin Tuesday, July 7th on US 150 (War Memorial Drive) from Frostwood Parkway to Sterling Avenue in Peoria.

Pavement patching, milling and resurfacing are planned for this project. Drivers should expect daily lane closures from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm throughout its duration. The project is scheduled to be completed by late August.

Drivers should build extra time into their commute while this project is underway. Please slow down and use caution while driving through work zones.

IDOT PRESS RELEASE ON US 150 EAST PEORIA:

PEORIA – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announces that, weather permitting, construction will begin on US 150 in Peoria and on US 24 in East Peoria starting Thursday, July 9th. The project limits begin at Prospect Dr. in Peoria and continue eastward over the McCluggage Bridge, ending near Grosenbach Rd. in East Peoria. All ramps at the interchange of US 150 and IL 116 will also be affected.

This project consists of pavement patching, milling and resurfacing. Expect daily lane closures in both eastbound and westbound directions. During peak traffic hours, no lane closures will be in place: 6:00 am to 8:30 am westbound and 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm eastbound. Ramp closures at the interchange of US 150 and IL 116 should be expected occasionally during the weekends and after 6:00 pm Mondays through Thursdays.

The scheduled completion date of this project is early November. Motorists are urged to slow down and use caution while driving in this work zone.

IDOT PRESS RELEASE ON ROUTE 29 PEKIN:

PEORIA – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announces that construction will begIn Thursday, July 9th on IL Route 29 from IL 98 to IL 9 and on IL 9 from IL 29 to Audubon Drive in Pekin.

This work will consist of patching, milling and resurfacing and motorists should expect lane reductions in this area through the end of September.

Please use caution and watch for workers and equipment while traveling through the work zone.