Further delays in the improvements at Illinois Highway 47 and McConnell Road in Woodstock are expected by city officials.
The project, originally begun two years ago, is now expected to be finished in the spring, according to city officials.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is now requiring the city to buy the right of way at the northeast corner of the intersection, according to Woodstock traffic engineer Jim Crowley.
“This is a relatively elementary project, but the paperwork takes a very, very long time,” Crowley said.
Federal regulations for creating turn lanes, installing traffic lights and widening corners are very strict. Crowley said the city is very limited in its choices to improve the intersection because of the Chicago and North Western railroad tracks that run over Illinois 47 just south of McConnell Road.
The city has applied to IDOT for a variance in the radius of the turn lane, but officials are not sure it will be granted, Crowley said. If it is granted, the city may not have to buy the right of way.
