Farmers Weekly Review

By Nick Reiher

State transportation officials have agreed to a request by the City of Joliet to allow trucks to enter and exit onto Illinois 53 for NorthPoint warehouses built on the west side of the highway.

In a June 27 letter to Beth Beatty, Joliet City Manager, Jose Rios, IDOT Region One Engineer, said they are approving temporary access to Illinois 53 at Compass Boulevard “solely for the tenant, FNS, projected to occupy approximately 320,000 SF.”

Rios said NorthPoint must first satisfy the following conditions:

1. Provide an exhibit clearly showing the internal configuration of driveway(s) serving the FNS tenant in the respective building.
2. Revise the intersection of IL 53 and Compass Boulevard in accordance with the enclosed markups.
3. Provide appropriate right and left turn lane signage at the constructed southbound right turn lane and northbound left tum lane along IL 53 in accordance with IDOT standards and specifications.

For any occupancy beyond the approximately 320,000 SF for FNS, the following must be submitted for the Department’s review and approval:

1. Provide the estimated traffic volumes along IL 53 for the NorthPoint Development with Compass Boulevard as a temporary access point for both truck and vehicular traffic. This traffic analysis shall include, but not be limited to, all traffic reassigned to Compass Boulevard with Millsdale Road being temporarily restrained; quarterly vehicular and truck traffic generated by additional occupancy of buildings 1, 2, and/or 3; and existing traffic utilizing IL 53.
2. Provide the hours of operation for the tenants that will be occupying buildings 1, 2, and 3. Additionally, include the peak times when ingress/egress traffic will be highest (e.g., is a tenant working mostly daytime hours, nighttime hours, or overnight hours?)
3. Provide an exhibit(s} clearly showing the internal configuration of driveways to buildings 1, 2, and 3. Highlight any areas of potential conflict due to vehicular and truck stacking.
4. Based on the revised traffic counts, the storage and/or taper lengths of the constructed southbound right turn lane and northbound left turn lane along IL 53 may need to be revised to accommodate the additional traffic utilizing this access in its temporary condition. Revise your plan sheets accordingly.
5. Provide all correspondence and/or approval with the respective railway authority regarding alternate access at the intersection with the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

Rios also noted that in a letter dated April 28, 2022, from the City of Joliet to the Department, “The City will take ownership, jurisdiction, and maintenance of both the bridge and the access roadway {Compass Boulevard) following their construction by NorthPoint.” As such, he said, any adverse effects resulting from these conditionally approved temporary access modifications will be directed to the City of Joliet.

Rios said it is anticipated that roadway mitigation along IL 53 will be necessary with additional truck traffic utilizing the temporary access point.

“Once prepared, the Department will need to review a traffic signal timing and coordination analysis to determine any effects to the existing, coordinated traffic signal system along IL 53 from at least I-80 to the subject location.

“The Department also requests that updated traffic counts be submitted every ninety (90} days to assess the additional traffic utilizing the temporary access point.

“Should the applicant fail to make satisfactory arrangements to comply with the above request within a reasonable timeframe, the Department reserves the right to rescind its temporary access approval and return the location to its previous condition at no cost to the Department.”

Joliet officials declined to comment on the letter, citing ongoing litigation.

Since unveiling its plans for a large business park on the east side of Illinois 53 in 2017, NorthPoint has touted its “closed loop” plan to keep truck traffic off the highway.

Before that, Elwood officials successfully lobbied the state to close access at Walter Strawn Drive to the BNSF Intermodal Yard due to increased accidents at the train tracks just to the west of the highway. Traffic there had increased exponentially after Joliet’s Union Pacific yard opened just to the north on the same land owned by CenterPoint Properties.

Despite the closure of Walter Strawn Drive, and the opening of the Arsenal Road interchange on Interstate 55 and more recently, the Houbolt Road Bridge access off Interstate 80, truck drivers still clog the warehouse area around Illinois 53 and Laraway, and sometimes find their way farther south.

While the 2017 plan – since annexed by Joliet — has been on hold, Joliet officials approved several NorthPoint warehouses on the west side of Illinois 53 – between Breen and Noel roads, with truck access caught up in litigation.

Two local legislators had requested IDOT not allow the temporary access to Illinois 53, citing already heavy truck traffic there.

Hearing of the conditional approval, state Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, issued the following statement:

“I am vehemently opposed to the decision to allow Northpoint access to Route 53. For years, residents across the district have strongly been against this project due to environmental and health concerns as well as the significant increased traffic that would come to an area that has already been burdened with increased trucking over the years.

“This decision directly impacts residents’ daily lives. I have reached out to IDOT to better understand why and how this decision was made despite my letter last month asking to deny the project’s request to gain permanent access to Route 53. I have scheduled time with IDOT for a further conversation on this matter and other matters impacting our region.

“We cannot continue to put profit over people and disregard the thousands of residents who have voiced their concerns for years. I will continue to echo my constituents’ concerns on NorthPoint.”

State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood, said he appreciated IDOT at least put conditions on the temporary access:

“While I am disappointed with the approval of any increased truck traffic on IL 53, I am glad to see that IDOT has placed a set of effective restrictions and conditions on that decision. My position on this matter has been consistent; the only way that approval would be acceptable was with conditions from IDOT that prioritized the safety and quality of life of the residents of the 86th district.

“I do not believe the restrictions go far enough, but they do represent the best case scenario for maintaining safety while the developers work to restore their access to Millsdale Road.

“There will be no access until IL 53 has been modified to meet IDOT specifications and standards. In addition, no building permits will be approved or issued by the City of Joliet to Northpoint until access to Millsdale Road is restored.

“Most importantly though, this access is tied to one occupant of one warehouse only. Any request to allow other occupants of any of the constructed warehouses to use IL 53 will trigger an immediate set of requirements from IDOT.

“These include requiring estimates of the increased traffic volume and, if required, further modification to IL 53 before any other trucks will be allowed access. If those requirements are not met in a timely manner, it will result in access being fully revoked and IL 53 being restored to the state it is in today, with Northpoint paying for that restoration.

“While this is not the preferred outcome, I am optimistic that the requirements the state has placed on this temporary access are comprehensive enough that there will be no other choice for the developers but to proceed in a productive and positive manner.

“Furthermore, if an agreement is reached between the developers and the City of Joliet to adjust the Memorandum of Understanding allowing access to Millsdale Road once again, the temporary access to IL 53 will be revoked and the modifications removed. I want to thank every resident of the 86th district who engaged with the process and made their voices heard.”

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.