Illinois State and Town of Normal extend pilot project for College, School, and Mulberry Streets intersection

The Town of Normal and Illinois State University have announced an extension of the safety pilot project at School Street, College Avenue and Mulberry Street.

"Based on preliminary findings, we are keeping School Street between College and Mulberry closed to continue evaluating safety initiatives at the intersection," explains Ryan Otto, director of Engineering & Public Works for the Town of Normal. "Both the Town and Illinois State have heard positive feedback about using this area to provide more space for pedestrians in this high foot traffic area."

As a result of this extension, southbound traffic on School Street will only be able to turn west; northbound traffic on School Street will only be able to turn east. Additional signage is being added along School Street.

"We understand the closure has created challenges for drivers and we want the community to know their concerns have been heard," adds Adam McCrary, director of Environmental Health and Safety at Illinois State. "With pedestrians voicing strong support for this effort's safety improvements, we'll continue to review options and data to make decisions that improve outcomes for the entire community."

The extension allows the Town and the University to continue evaluating how this change impacts pedestrian and roadway safety without significant upfront investment.

"This is a busy, complex intersection," explains Otto. "We want to make a data-driven decision and will further review objective data to fully understand how the closure impacted traffic and pedestrian safety."

The road was initially closed in September 2025 for a planned semester-long closure. The extension allows the Town and Illinois State to further review information and data before a permanent decision is made.