Troy officials hold public meeting on Riggin Road reconstruction
Caption – This whiteboard depicts some of the planned improvements to Riggin Road as it approaches Bouse Road. (Charles Bolinger photo)
By Charles Bolinger
Editor
Three people attended the City of Troy Nov. 17 public meeting on the future plan to reconstruct a large section of Riggin Road.
“Three residents attended,” said City Engineer Tom Cissell to the mayor and council. “Two came with concerns and left feeling like they understood the project and they said they felt better about it. The third person was interested in the whole process.”
The project calls for complete reconstruction of a 2,055-foot section of Riggin between Zenk and Bouse roads. When finished, the current oil ‘n chip section will become a 30-foot-wide concrete road with new curbs, gutters and sidewalks. It will also have two, five-foot-wide bicycle lanes built into the street from Bouse to Route 162. Troy officials intend to apply for a surface transportation program (STP) grant for the project.
To date, $661,000 in federal monies have been earmarked for the work for the 2026 fiscal year. City officials met with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) about the work in September. Cissell said he expects the project to be on the January 2027 bid list, which would mean construction would begin in spring 2027 and take five months to complete, depending on the weather.
Cissell added that this entire section of Riggin will be closed (both directions) to get the work done faster.
Separately, Cissell convinced the council to tack on another project to the Olde Farm Road work as part of the city’s PASER program. Cissell estimated $446,000 to do Olde Farm but it actually cost about $286,000. With such savings in mind, he targeted Pinewood Court to be added to the work.
Pinewood Court branches off of Olde Farm Road and city staff agreed that it is in nearly as bad of condition as Olde Farm. Cissell originally estimated Pinewood would take $157,000 to repair.
Instead of following Cissell’s five-year plan and waiting until 2028 to do Pinewood Court, the council agreed, 8-0, to follow his suggestion to add Pinewood to the task list this year for about $100,000, using the same unit cost prices from Stutz Excavating, the contractor involved, as for Olde Farm Road. Also, the company had to know by Nov. 18 whether the addition would be approved as they began work on Olde Farm on Nov. 17.
Police Chief Chris Wasser advised residents as we enter the holiday season to remember to lock their vehicles, when at home or when out and about. Other tips he provided included hiding valuables in a trunk or covered cargo bay, e.g., recently purchased gifts or women’s purses. Other suggestions include not leaving keyfobs exposed, expensive items like sunglasses visible and to never leave loose change lying about the interior.
In other action, aldermen unanimously approved a resolution that allows a purchase agreement for a right-of-way that will become part of the Formosa East Trail. The right-of-way is currently part of HC Farms Enterprise in the 1500 block of Formosa Road.
Mayor David Nonn said this sets the stage for the Silver Creek Trail to cross over US 40 on a bridge about 400 feet long and connect to Madison County Transit’s Goshen Trail, a major north-south hiking and biking trail that leads to O’Fallon and St. Clair County.
The council also voted 8-0 on two resolutions, one approving regulation of any future data centers that are built in or near Troy or are annexed into the city and the other covers commercial solar/wind farms that would be built within or annexed into the city in the future.
The next Troy City Council meeting is Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in city hall, 116 E. Market St.
