The Bowes Road extension, which connects Route 31 (LaFox Street) and McLean Boulevard in South Elgin, opened to traffic Monday morning.
South Elgin received a $4.1 million state of Illinois grant to fund construction of the east-west corridor in March 2014, and construction started in the spring. The wide, two-lane road used to be a unmaintained gravel access road and dead-ended right before the FAA facility in Elgin. The new road opens up 47 acres for industrial development in the village.
The village and three property owners along the route split the engineering costs to plan for the road, officials said.
South Elgin is also constructing a new public works facility along the corridor.
The highly anticipated road is designed to pull semi traffic off of Sundown Road. According to the village, semi-trucks heading west on Sundown from Route 31 often had trouble navigating that corner. The road is also expected to be used by motorists avoiding the McLean and Route 20 reconstruction project, which is now entering its fourth year of construction.
Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter.
