Farmers Weekly Review

A study underway looks to evaluate and propose improvements to accommodate the travel demand on Interstate 57 and local roads for the year 2050.

Officials and residents shared their concerns with the Illinois Department of Transportation at an open house held recently in Peotone.

The study area extends from south of Wilmington-Peotone Road to north of Manhattan-Monee Road, and from US 45 on the West to 1-mile east of IL 50. Within its limits, the study area spans approximately 8.5 miles of I-57 and includes the Villages of University Park, Monee and Peotone in eastern Will County.

The study will review existing traffic (average daily traffic and crash history), existing environmental and community resources, and land use/zoning (freight and economic conditions and economic zones).

IDOT officials say the I-57 Access Study is being conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, which requires agencies such as IDOT to consider impacts to the human and natural environments.

Ultimately, IDOT officials are looking for needs so they can develop a reasonable range of alternatives, and, ultimately, recommend a preferred alternative. The goal is to propose access improvements to I-57 to meet future traffic needs, IDOT officials said, and improve local and regional connectivity to I-57.

The Peotone meeting drew dozens of area residents, as well as officials from all three villages. It was the first of three public meetings expected to be held between now and 2026.

IDOT spokesman Steve Schillke said the meetings are part of Phase I, which includes preliminary engineering and environmental study. Phase II will take 24 to 36 months to complete and will cover contract plan preparation and land acquisition.

Phase III will follow and is earmarked for actual construction, which will take another two to three years.

But Schillke said Phase III is years away.

“We’re IDOT,” he quipped. “People should not expect it to happen quickly.”

In the meantime, planners are seeking input from residents, community leaders, business owners and others.

Among those who attended the Peotone meeting was Monee Village Administrator Ruben Bautista.

“The Village of Monee is hopeful that the proposed I-57 interchange projects, designed to address anticipated traffic volume increases at the Peotone and Monee interchanges, as well as the proposed new interchange at Eagle Lake Road and I-57, will be engineered and constructed with a forward-thinking approach, anticipating the potential development of a third Chicago airport,” he said.

“Such a development will trigger a significant regional impact, affecting residential, commercial, and industrial growth.

“We recognize the key benefits that these proposed infrastructure improvements will bring to our community.”

He said those improvements include:

“The Village of Monee is committed to working closely with state and federal officials to ensure these projects are implemented efficiently and effectively,” Bautista added. “We believe that these improvements will position Monee as a thriving community for years to come.”

Monee community activist Christi Holston also participated in the meeting.

“I was glad that IDOT is giving the community an opportunity to become involved in the process at the beginning of the study period,” she said later.

“Their timeline indicates they will be studying improvements to I-57 access points between Monee Manhattan Toad and Wilmington-Peotone Road through 2025, 2026, and 2027.

“I was especially interested to see the storyboard they displayed that indicated other key Will County projects, including the South Suburban Airport, Intermodal Transportation Master Plan and Long Range Transportation Plan.

“It reminded me that any improvements or additions of interchanges along I-57 must be initiated and recommended for a reason, and we need to be aware of what those underlying reasons might be as decisions are made.

“It’s vital to get the whole picture of what is at stake and what we are agreeing to.”

Holston also said she volunteered to serve on the Community Advisory Group, which will serve as a liaison between the study team and the community, providing input on issues and contributing to the decision-making process.

“If we have local citizens involved in the process,” she explained, “I feel that the community will be able to stay better informed and able to give our input and safeguard the interests of Monee.”

Peotone Village Administrator Nick Palmer touched on the Peotone interchange, a subject many of the residents commented on.

“The Peotone interchange is still not what it should be. It’s better than it was five years ago. But it’s still not totally safe.”

Peotone Village President Peter March had several suggestions for the study planners,

“The village spent $2.5 million on improvements to the interchange at I-57 (a few years ago). But it still needs improvement,” he said. “It’s a dangerous intersection. The bridge over I-57 needs to be widened. It also needs traffic lights.”

But the one thing he doesn’t agree with is discussion of an interchange to serve the South Suburban Airport.

“Nobody is in favor of an interchange at Offner Road,” he said, adding that the Village of Peotone long has opposed the airport and the traffic, noise, pollution, and loss of prime farm land that is expected to follow.

“But I think it’s good that they’re here, talking to us. Our voices are important to the study. Because what comes out of the study will directly affect our way of life in Peotone.”

IDOT will continue to accept input for the study via email at [email protected] or by mail to Illinois Department of Transportation, Bureau of Programming, Attn: Anna Kutryn, P.E.. 201 W. Center Court, Schaumburg IL 60196.

Applications for the Community Advisory Group can be submitted at [email protected].