Plans are inching forward in La Grange to improve the intersection of East Avenue and 47th Street and a portion of 55th Street, projects that are a result of a $40 million settlement between the Illinois Department of Transportation and Vulcan Materials Inc.
IDOT’s proposal for East Avenue and 47th Street includes adding signals at the intersection, reconfiguring the railroad bypass at the southwest corner to allow traffic from eastbound 47th Street to southbound East Avenue only and installation of new sidewalks and street lighting.
The improvements for 55th Street would be from Wolf Road to Stone Avenue and generally consist of widening and resurfacing 55th Street to provide a median and left-turn lanes. It would also add a southbound right-turn lane along Willow Springs Road. Traffic signals would be replaced and drainage would be improved. A bike path also is proposed on the north side of 55th Street, between Wolf Road and Stone Avenue.
Village President Tom Livingston said officials are not all convinced traffic signals will be an improvement at East Avenue and 47th Street, which is currently a four-way stop.
“It forces drivers to stop. It kind of calms traffic,” he said.
The Village Board also likes the current configuration of the railroad bypass and are not embracing IDOT’s idea of making it a one-way to allow only traffic from eastbound 47th Street to southbound East Avenue.
Livingston said the board feels “it’s too restrictive. People, when they see a train coming, need to have flexibility and options.”
There are portions of both projects, such as adding new sidewalks and streetlights, that would require the village to kick in some money. The cost of street lights for the East Avenue/47th Street project would be about $513,000 plus engineering costs. The lighting would be paid for with federal funds for 75 percent of the cost. The remaining 25 percent would be shared by La Grange, McCook and Brookfield.
“We’re willing to do something,” said Livingston, noting the village has a state grant to help pay some costs.
The village’s cost of new sidewalks on the north side of 47th Street from 9th Avenue to East Avenue and on East Avenue to the La Grange Park District Recreation Center would be about $15,000.
The idea of putting a bike path on 55th Street also needs further study, he said.
“We’re not opposed to a bike path, but we need more answers on the impact of it,” he said.
He said that the portion of 55th Street that would be improved is not within the village limits, which means it might not be the village’s obligation to contribute financially to that project.
Public Works director Ryan Gillingham said the village has not yet received an estimate of the total costs. Funds from the settlement reached in 2010 between IDOT and Vulcan Materials, however, have been earmarked for much of the expenses.
The settlement was reached after the state alleged that the company had caused damage to a mile-long section of Joliet Road, which was closed in 1998. IDOT experts found that limestone mining by the company had caused the road to buckle, which made it unusable. It was decided that the settlement funds would be used to pay for improving surrounding roads that experienced increased use after Joliet Road was closed.
Gillingham said it will be two to five years before construction is started on the projects.
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