Farmers Weekly Review

By Nick Reiher

Following weeks of opposition to a longstanding plan to widen 143rd Street in Homer Township to five lanes, the Will County Board’s Public Works and Transportation Committee on February 6 approved a resolution to forgo that plan and instead build three lanes, with the third being a turn lane.

The segment in question, the Will County Department of Transportation, between State Street/Lemont Road and Bell Road, is in the final segment of the widening and reconstruction of 143rd Street Corridor plan begun in 1991. All other segments have been made five lanes, with a median.

The Will County Board has supported the five-lane plan at least nine times since that time, and has spent $6.2 million so far. The county also has the promise of a $7 million grant toward the project, estimated to cost $58 million, with an additional $5 million to $6 million for engineering, said Jeff Ronaldson, Will County Transportation Director.

Ronaldson added the county is in negotiation for right-of-way for the project. Construction can begin after that’s completed. He said acquisition would not re-locate any homes.

Ronaldson added the same right-of-way would be needed if the County Board were to approve the three-lane plan instead at its February 15 meeting.

Opponents said the larger plan would mean more traffic through their area, eliminating what rural areas are left. They added the five-lane plan was devised before 159th Street two miles to the south was fully developed.

Steve Balich, R-Homer Glen, said he has voted for the five-lane plan in the past because former leadership indicated to newer board members that you never turn down a road plan. He and County Board Chair Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, said leadership now is pushing more to listen to residents.

Yet, those supporting the five-lane plan say the traffic will coming regardless, now that there is an interchange at Interstate 355 and 143rd Street. Not widening the road as other parts already have been could be a safety issue, they say.

Elnalyn Costa, D-Bolingbrook, acknowledged none of her district includes the area in question. And she said she does feel bad the expansion will change the culture that area, including the loss of some old trees and the installation of sound barriers blocking views.

“My duty is to make decisions that are going to make a difference for the next generation ahead of me,” she said.

Officials from Orland Park just to the east were eager for the five-lane plan to proceed, since it would provide a widened road from I-355 through their village. It also was pointed out the larger plan was supported by representatives of surrounding communities interested in a regional traffic plan.

But those opposed to the widening said they don’t care about other communities.

“Homer Glen is not Orland Park’s truck route,” one said.

Committee Chair Joe Van Duyne, D-Wilmington, was somewhat frustrated the county had been behind the five-lane plan for some 30 years. He added there are people in that area who do support the larger widening; some who said at the meeting they believed a wider road would improve safety.

While the full board has approved a $550 million 2050 transportation plan for the county, he added, “the board does not want to support infrastructure.”

Ronaldson also said the county would lose the $7 million in federal funding because that amount would not available for anything less than the 5-lane cross section nor for another project.

Hugh O’Hara from the Will County Governmental League said the allocation would go back to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, which would allocate it to another project in the region. He also said since Will County never has rejected funding before, it might cause CMAP to call into question future requests.

He and Costa voted against the resolution to revert to a three-lane plan. Voting for it were Balich, Jim Richmond, R-Mokena; Vince Logan, R-Joliet; Sherry Williams, D-Crest Hill; and Dan Butler, R-Frankfort.

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.