PAWNEE, Ill. (WAND) - The Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation broke ground on a new Traffic Incident Management training facility. The space will provide a contained space for law enforcement and first responders to train on a variety of driving incidents in a safe location. 

"We can't just shut down the road and we can't just shut down an interstate and practice," said Brandon Kelly, director of the Illinois State Police. "This creates the platform and the environment where those things can safely be done and where lessons can be learned and different things that can be tried and analyzed and tested." 

Once completed, the space will include roundabouts, highway exits, intersections and specific types of roadways. New law enforcement officers and current officers can use the space to practice traffic stops, directing people around construction and ensuring proper enforcement of rules of the road. 

"While unfortunately we can't control every driver, through better training, better visibility, scene management and better coordination, we can reduce our exposure to those risks," said ISP Lieutenant Thomas Brengel. "We can create safer work zones, we can anticipate hazards and we can respond in ways that give ourselves and coworkers a greater margin for safety." 

Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said focusing on safety is crucial for first responders and everyday drivers. Just last week, an IDOT contractor was killed in a construction zone in Champaign County. 

"This is an incredibly serious issue, and that is why we need a facility like this to make sure we're at our best in every possible permutation of working and using our highway system," Biagi said. "Slow down, save lives, pay attention, get off your phone." 

Biagi said the new training area will cost $14 million to build. 

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