Although motorists driving near the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Riverside Road in Lincolnshire may encounter partial lane closures for the next few months, a recently started road construction project shouldn’t burden village taxpayers, according to officials.
That’s because the upgrades tied to a new residential development in the area are being paid by the developer of the new residences, said village engineer Wally Dittrich.
“It’s great any time we can get brand new infrastructure at no cost,” he said. “The developers are paying for all of this.”
Crews started work April 24 near the intersection after village board members last year approved the relocation of Riverside Road’s intersection with Milwaukee Avenue.
The new entry to Riverside Road now will be about 100 feet to the south, joining an existing intersection with Tower Parkway that is controlled by traffic lights, Dittrich said.
For the road project, the Illinois Department of Transportation agreed to install a right-hand turn lane from northbound Milwaukee Avenue into the new Riverside entry, along with a new left-hand turn lane on southbound Milwaukee Avenue.
The existing traffic lights that have long regulated the intersection of Tower Parkway and Milwaukee Avenue also will be replaced with newer models and more arrows to control the wider intersection, he said.
Construction on the project could take up to three months, Dittrich said. Crews will do their best to keep the packed route open during rush hours and are trying to limit partial lane closures near the intersection to between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., he said.
The road work is tied to a nearly completed 86-unit, 20-acre residential development called Camberley Club that is being built by Pulte Homes at the new southeast corner of Riverside Road and Milwaukee Avenue.
The land previously had been unincorporated, while the road had been maintained by Vernon Township. But Lincolnshire trustees annexed both to move the residential project forward.
Construction on a second residential development, immediately east of Camberley Club and toward the dead end of the mile-long Riverside Road, also soon could be happening.
KZF Development and Stack Real Estate LLC have won preliminary approval from the Lincolnshire Village Board for their proposed Lincolnshire Trails, which could bring 44 new townhouses to 14600 Riverside Road.
For the ongoing roadwork, Pulte Homes agreed to pay $825,000 for the work to Milwaukee Avenue and $250,000 for the work to Riverside Road, Dittrich said. The developer agreed to cover the work last year through impact fees, as part of its deal with Lincolnshire officials.
Pulte also is planning to rebuild and widen the aging blacktop surface on Riverside Road, from its new entry east to where Lincolnshire Trails could be added, to accomodate two full lanes, he said
If KZF Development and Stack Real Estate win final approval for their project, Dittrich said, they will be responsible for a similar widening, back to the dead end of Riverside Road at the Des Plaines River Trail jogging path.
“When you have new development, you want to make sure that the developer pays for what they’re bringing,” he said.
His crews simultaneously are overseeing an upgrade of a different jogging trail, just north of Route 22, which connects with the Des Plaines River Trail. Once those two projects are complete, Dittrich said the remaining local construction projects for the summer should be simple.
“It’s just maintenance after this,” he said.
Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer
