Latest news with #WillCountyDivisionofTransportation
Chicago Tribune
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Residents push back on truck routes between Interstate 57, Illinois 394
Will County transportation officials are seeking input on the ongoing Eastern Will County Freight Mobility Corridor study, while some residents are starting a petition drive in protest of the county's plan to create a dedicated east-west truck route between Interstate 57 and Illinois 394. About 140 residents attended a recent meeting at Monee Elementary School to hear information and provide feedback on the plan. Residents have through July 24 to submit written comments that will be entered into the official public record. A survey about the project is online at Will County transportation officials are studying how best to organize truck traffic in response to local leaders, who said truckers now drive through their towns, sometimes on roads not meant for semis, said Christina Kupkowski, a project manager with the Will County Division of Transportation. But the study is concerning to several residents worried a truck route will be built near their neighborhoods. 'How are they going to change our community?' said Monee resident Jacqueline Rosinski. 'The community needs to be heard.' Rosinski said she understands the logic of trying to get trucks from I-57 to IL-394, but said there are concerns. Nearby residents said the project would add more trucks, increase noise and pollution, harm farmland, destroy wildlife habitats and create greater traffic hazards for residents. 'We will lose our privacy,' said Monee resident Chad Hartman, who is organizing a petition drive against the east-west truck route after learning one of the alternatives under consideration goes near his Country Meadows subdivision. Hartman said it would ruin the view from his picturesque yard, and he fears reduced property values and increased noise. Hartman said he is concerned that county officials are catering to truck drivers without regard to residents' well-being. He said if they make it easier for trucks to travel through town, it will invite developers to build more warehouses and industrial parks, which would then lead to even more trucks. Hartman said he is also concerned about an increase in crime because there would be easier access to I-57, and he wondered how Monee Elementary School or the Golf Vista Estates senior living community would be affected if the truck route were located near them. 'Everybody likes Monee because it's a quiet, quaint little town,' Hartman said. County Board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican, said she didn't like any of the proposed alternatives, which affect neighborhoods, schools and a potential location for a new Monee police station. 'This is not community friendly at all,' Ogalla said. County Board member Dan Butler, a Frankfort Republican, said a handful of residents and local leaders have contacted him about the project. Residents, who appreciate the farmland and rural living, told him they want less truck traffic, not more. If truck routes are created, more warehouses and industrial parks could be built on the farmland, Butler said. 'Are we doing this for the people, or are we doing it for the businesses,' he said. 'People live in Will County because it's more rural, especially out this way. They like the country, natural environment.' He said a broader issue of how development should look, especially on farmland, should be discussed. Butler also questioned the maintenance costs for upkeep. 'Infrastructure costs never go away,' he said. There has been a significant growth in truck traffic, but there is a lack of dedicated east-west connections between I-57 and IL-394, Kupkowski said. The study is being done to evaluate alternatives to improve freight mobility. Some of the area's weight-restricted roads are not built for truck traffic, and those weight restrictions may not be conveyed on GPS devices. As a result, truckers drive on roads they shouldn't and violate those roads' weight limits, Kupkowski said. 'A designated truck route tells truckers, 'This is where we want you to be,'' she said. No decisions have been made at this point, Kupkowski said. The study, which started in 2020 with a series of meetings and surveys, includes about 20 square miles and the municipalities of Crete, Monee, University Park and parts of Frankfort, Park Forest, Steger and Sauk Village. It borders the Cook County municipalities of Richton Park and South Chicago Heights, the Indiana state line, I-57 and the south suburban airport planning area. At one point, nearly 30 alternatives were explored, and the county has narrowed the scope to six alternatives to design and construct highway improvements along the Crete-Monee Road corridor with various connections to IL-50 and IL-394, Kupkowski said. A no-build alternative assumes no improvements will be made and only regular road maintenance will be done. The county is looking decades out so it doesn't build a road system that is obsolete, Kupkowski said. Truck traffic and warehouse development has been increasing throughout the county, officials said. In 2015, trucks carried $282 billion in goods through Will County, and it's estimated to increase to about $1.2 trillion in goods by 2040, project documents said. Will County's largest employer and freight mover is Amazon, which recently built fulfillment centers in Monee, University Park and Matteson, in or adjacent to the study area, according to project documents. The increased freight traffic in eastern Will County was introduced without accompanying improvements to the county transportation network or a designated truck route network, leading to uncontrolled freight movements on roads that were not designed to support significant truck travel, project documents said. Kupkowski said safety is the county's number one goal. Part of the reason for surveys and request for feedback is to gather information that officials might not know, she said. While the county has data on accidents and traffic volumes, officials do not know about intersections or other locations in which a near-miss accident may have occurred, she said. The county also looks at other anecdotal information or opinions from residents who live or work in the proposed area. County officials anticipate Crete-Monee Road will remain one lane in each direction, but improvements will be needed, such as wider shoulders and intersections and thicker pavement to accommodate the weight of trucks, Kupkowski said. The preliminary engineering phase is expected to take up to three years, while the next phase that includes land acquisition could take 18 months to two years as the project continues to be refined. The more data the county can collect during the early planning periods ultimately makes for a better road system, Kupkowski said. The county is working to reduce the number of trucks traveling down residential areas. 'The whole goal is to build a safe roadway system that fits holistically with the area,' she said. 'This is the time to provide comments. Let us know your concerns.' Construction, which could run more than $100 million, wouldn't occur until at least 2030 or 2031, Kupkowski said. A future public engagement session is likely to take place next year.
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Will County Board refuses to drop 143rd Street widening from transporation plan, but stalls passage
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.
Chicago Tribune
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike says lobby stopped quick-take bill on 143rd Street
Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said Saturday afternoon a bill pending in Springfield to allow Will County to use quick take powers to seize property along 143rd Street is on hold until fall. Neitzke-Troike and Will County Board member Jim Richmond, whose district includes Homer Glen, headed to the capitol to ensure lawmakers didn't plan a last-minute vote before the legislature's spring session scheduled end Saturday. Both Neitzke-Troike and Richmond said they talked to numerous state representatives, senators, legislative assistants and lobbyists to protest the county's use of quick take along 143rd Street. The Will County Division of Transportation is hoping to begin widening 143rd Street through Homer Glen next year, but Homer Glen and Homer Township officials would like to put the brakes on the project and discuss options other than the planned five-lane roadway. The expansion is opposed by many residents, who have protested the project for at least 18 months. Residents and local officials said it would disrupt the rural nature of the area and invite more noise, trucks and traffic. The street is under the jurisdiction of Will County, which has said the expansion is needed to improve traffic flow and safety. Village officials said studies to widen 143rd Street from State Street/Lemont Road to Bell Road are outdated and were completed long before the Illinois Department of Transportation widened 159th Street. 'Our residents are adamant this is not a five-lane road, and that's who we are representing,' Homer Glen Village Manager Joe Baber said. Baber and Neitzke-Troike said residents have actively filled out witness slips opposing the county's use of quick-take powers. Neitzke-Troike said 240 of the 260 witness slips filled out for the original House bill opposed the legislation authorizing quick take powers. Residents continued to fill out witness slips when amendments to the House bill were introduced and nearly all of them were against the project, Neitzke-Troike said. 'I believe Springfield heard us,' Neitzke-Troike said. 'They are doing what government is supposed to be doing, which is listening to the people.' The bill is in the Senate Judiciary Committee. While the road project is not stopped, it buys the village more time to come up with a more palatable solution. 'I'm very thankful, and it gave me hope that we can come to a middle ground on what's best for the residents of Homer Glen,' Neitzke-Troike said. 'My job is to protect the people in our community, and that's what I'm doing.' She plans to continue meeting with county leaders to come up with a solution that village officials and residents could get behind. One possible option is a center or third lane with curbs that would require less land to be acquired and be cheaper. Richmond, the County Board's Republican Leader, said he has always been opposed to the five-lane expansion of 143rd Street. 'Hopefully we can come up with some type of compromise,' Richmond said. Will County began engineering studies on the 159th Street expansion in 2009, and County Board members have voiced their support for the project for more than a decade. In November 2023, the County Board approved a resolution requesting Springfield approve quick-take powers to acquire right of way for the 143rd Street project. The resolution passed 12-11 along party lines with Democrats supporting quick take. The County Board in June 2024 approved its five-year transportation plan by a 17-3 vote, which included the 143rd Street widening as among the county's expenditures. The total cost for the 143rd Street widening is about $72.6 million and $6.2 million has already been spent, county spokesman Mike Theodore said. The county has also received a $7 million federal grant, which must be obligated in 2026, Theodore said. Any delays in the project could put those funds at risk, he said. But the repercussions could extend beyond the Homer Glen road widening project, Theodore said. 'Failure to obligate these funds could negatively impact Will County's ability to receive these roadway dollars in the future, as the federal government would not have faith in the county's ability to implement projects that were approved repeatedly for years,' Theodore said. 'As the fastest-growing county in Illinois with rising infrastructure needs, federal funding provides a critical supplement to Will County roadway projects. Putting this at risk could have long-term implications on the county's budget.' The 143rd Street expansion has long been controversial. In February 2024, the County Board voted to halt the project as planned and look into a three-lane option. County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant mistakenly signed that resolution and subsequently vetoed it, leading 10 County Board Republicans to file a lawsuit against her. 'Will County has held a consistent position since 2009: That the existing two-lane road is a danger to the public, impedes the flow of traffic, and prevents the safe passage of residents throughout the county,' Bertino-Tarrant said in her veto. The lawsuit against her was dismissed earlier this year in Will County Circuit Court. Neitzke-Troike said she hopes to speak with Bertino-Tarrant about the village's concerns. Richmond said he would like the 143rd Street project to be added to future County Board transportation committee agendas.
