Farmers Weekly Review

By Nick Reiher

Due to concerns by residents and Matt Walsh, Jackson Township Highway Commissioner, Will County transportation officials will begin a study to widen and add left-turn lanes on Manhattan-Arsenal Road at Illinois 53.

Walsh told members of the County Board’s Public Works and Transportation Committee on September 3 that residents have been concerned traffic backups from drivers turning left onto Illinois 53 from Arsenal and/or Manhattan Road are blocking the intersection, leading some drivers to use the shoulder to go around them.

The issue at that intersection received the third-most comments at an April public hearing on extensive plans to improve Illinois 53 from Doris Avenue to North River Road in Wilmington. While IDOT has jurisdiction over Illinois 53, the county has rights to Manhattan and Arsenal roads.

Although residents have said the current configuration has caused many head-on collisions, Jeff Ronaldson, Will County Transportation Director, said he found only one such accident there in the past five years, that occurring in 2021.

Ronaldson also told the committee he set up cameras at the intersection to monitor the issues brought up by the public. He said he has asked the Illinois Department of Transportation if signals on Manhattan and Arsenal roads can be re-timed so drivers turning left aren’t blocking the roadway. He hasn’t received a response.

IDOT installed stoplights at left-turn lanes at the intersection, and plans to put in a right-turn, deceleration lane from southbound Illinois 53 to westbound Arsenal Road.

“I don’t know why they didn’t just put in left-turn lanes (on Manhattan-Arsenal Road) when they put the signals in,” Walsh told the committee. He and Ronaldson expect the issue to get worse there as NorthPoint continues to build warehouses.

Ronaldson said one of the issues at that time was a concern whether a turn lane could be added on the bridge on Manhattan Road just east of Illinois 53. He has since learned it can accommodate an additional lane.

Committee members said they don’t want to wait until the number of head-on collisions there warrants the left-turn lanes. They authorized Ronaldson to go ahead with putting together a study and solicit for engineering work.

The best-case scenario would have the County Board reviewing a contract by the end of the year, he said. But even if that were the case, IDOT officials would have to review the plan.

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.

Proposed changes to the intersection include left-turn lanes in both directions from Manhattan-Arsenal Road onto Illinois 53.