Aug. 22--A major thoroughfare reopened this afternoon after local leaders gathered to mark the occasion at 20th Street in Granite City.

The truck route serves U.S. Steel Granite City Works and several other industries. It reopened today after a $4 million reconstruction project that began in August 2006. The road has been fully closed since July 2007.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, and state Reps. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, Tom Holbrook, D-Belleville, and Dan Beiser, D-Alton, attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. today.

Representatives from the steel mill, Granite City and the Illinois Department of Transportation also attended.

"It was a terrible road," said Granite City Mayor Ed Hagnauer, of the formerly bumpy road. "This is just such progress for us."

Twentieth Street connects Illinois 203 to the city's downtown. In addition to serving the steel mill, the reopened road will help with access to Gateway Regional Medical Center.

For more on this story, read Saturday's News-Democrat and visit www.bnd.com.

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