Will County Board refuses to drop 143rd Street widening from transporation plan, but stalls passage

Chicago Tribune

16 hours ago

Will County's five-year transportation improvement plan, typically approved each June, will head back to committee for more review after a motion to remove the controversial 143rd Street road project from the plan failed.
The County Board's Public Works and Transportation Committee will discuss the transportation plan July 1.
Every year, the Will County Division of Transportation puts out the newest version of the plan, which outlines future road projects. With engineering, planning, right of way acquisition, utility relocation and construction, road improvement projects span multiple years.
The county's highway system includes 258 miles of roads and 87 bridges, and it expects to spend about $756.2 million in the next five years on corridor, bridge and intersection improvements and general maintenance.
The 143rd Street project in Homer Glen, which is a $72.6 million improvement, has been fiercely debated for more than 18 months, and some members of the County Board asked Wednesday to have it removed from the plan, citing resident opposition.
Recently, a bill authorizing the county to use quick-take powers to seize property along 143rd Street stalled in Springfield. Although the bill was not voted on by the time the legislature ended their spring session May 31, that does not stop the widening project.
Will County began engineering studies in 2009 to widen 143rd Street from two to five lanes from State Street/Lemont Road to Bell Road. For more than a decade, county officials voiced their support for the project, and $6.2 million has already been spent. A $7 million federal grant earmarked for the project must be obligated by 2026.
County Board member Steve Balich, a Republican who represents Homer Glen, said the delay in Springfield means county officials need to work with Homer Glen officials on creating a new solution for the road that pleases residents.
Board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican, said Homer Glen's population has not boomed like it was anticipated years ago, and the road did not become a commercial corridor as once planned.
Expanding the road from two to five lanes would 'completely change the quality of life,' for Homer Glen residents, Ogalla said.
Traffic counts, however, show that the road should be expanded to improve flow and safety, county officials said.
'Those studies show that the traffic count on 143rd is 3,000 vehicles per day more than what warrants a four- and five-lane system,' said County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, the past chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee.
Even though the population of Homer Glen has remained the same, the roadway use has been increasing, said Jeff Ronaldson, the county's transportation director.
More drivers have been using 143rd Street even after the Illinois Department of Transportation widened 159th Street just two miles away, Ronaldson said.
Removing 143rd Street from the transportation plan could jeopardize the federal funding the county has received for this project.
VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat, said the county risks losing future grants because it shows it is not committed to the projects it has approved.
Ronaldson said if the county widened 143rd Street to three lanes, a similar amount of land would have to be taken. The project as planned doesn't affect Reed Elementary School and its bus queuing area, he said.
After the vote to remove 143rd Street from the five-year transportation plan failed, the board opted to send the plan back to committee for more discussion.
'The portion of the plan that details information about 143rd Street will likely be discussed but it is unclear what, if any, changes will come from it,' said Mark Revis, the vice chair of the Public Works and Transportation Committee, who will preside over the July 1 meeting.
Revis, of Plainfield, has been the only Republican who supports the 143rd Street widening. He was also the only Republican not to sign onto a lawsuit against county Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, when she vetoed an attempt last year to alter the 143rd Street plan. That lawsuit was recently dismissed in Will County Circuit Court.
Revis said he would like to see a footnote added to the five-year plan that says it is subject to change and based on estimates.
Board member Dan Butler, a Frankfort Republican, said the 143rd Street project is just one part of the transportation improvement plan that needs a closer look.
He said he would like to see more details overall in the plan that includes such items as the county's priorities, why projects were planned the way they were and if there are other options for the projects, such as creating turning lanes or adding traffic lights.
Butler, who proposed sending the plan back to committee, said he is against quick take or eminent domain to seize land and wants to ensure local and township officials are consulted about all road projects before money is spent. He also wants more details on how much pipeline relocations will cost.
'I want to take care of the roads and serve the people in a way that everybody benefits and not make people miserable where they live,' Butler said. 'I don't want to be wasteful and spend money on things that will hurt townships or communities.'
VanDuyne said it was unfortunate the plan was referred back to committee, saying the transportation department each year provides a detailed look at their projects, and County Board members have plenty of time to offer their suggestions.