Will County has received $500,000 in federal funding for the Eastern Will County Truck Routing Project that will help design road improvements, redirect freight traffic from neighborhoods and identify a truck route in the eastern portion of the county.
There is currently not a designated truck corridor between IL 394 and IL 50, which causes uncontrolled east-west truck traffic to pass through using numerous local roads, said Mike Theodore, spokesman for the Will County Executive’s Office.
The need for a truck route has accelerated in recent years due to the increase in warehouses and distribution centers in the area, he said. Communities in eastern Will County, including Crete, Monee, Beecher, Peotone, University Park and Steger, have been discussing the appropriate location for an east-west truck route for more than two decades as they look to minimize truck traffic on local roads, Theodore said.
The Will County Division of Transportation previously conducted a study due to community concerns about the growth of truck traffic from warehouses and distribution centers.
That broader study indicated improvements along the Crete-Monee Road corridor were needed to redirect freight traffic away from residential areas, minimize local congestion and increase roadway safety.
“This funding will ensure that this critical project can move forward, reducing congestion and improving roadway safety throughout eastern Will County,” County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said. “This long-planned project will redirect truck traffic towards a dedicated freight corridor and away from local neighborhoods.”
Once the Crete-Monee Road corridor receives needed improvements, truck traffic will be redirected away from local roads to this route, said Joe VanDuyne, chair of the County Board’s Public Works and Transportation Committee.
This will benefit residents in Monee, Crete, University Park and Monee and Crete Townships, said VanDuyne, a Democrat from Wilmington.
“At the Will County DOT, it is our job to move traffic through the county safely and efficiently,” he said. “This will add to that goal.”
VanDuyne said county officials are always seeking grant opportunities to fund improvements.
Will County Board Chair Judy Ogalla, a Republican from Monee, said warehouses have been popping up in the eastern portion of the county over the last 10 years, especially close to Interstate 57.
Some roads in the area, however, are not suitable for trucks, and she has seen semis on gravel roads or roads that do not have an appropriate turning radius.
A designated truck route could be uploaded to truck drivers’ GPS devices so they won’t travel on roads they shouldn’t be on, Ogalla said.
Ogalla said that eastern Will County residents should provide their feedback during the course of the study.
“The goal is to make roads safe for trucks as well as the residents,” she said.
The first phase study will include various community engagements and open house events for residents to offer their opinions.
The estimated cost of the project is expected to be about $146 million, including engineering, design and construction. Construction is likely to be spread into multiple segments to increase the chances of receiving future grants and to spread out the construction cost over more than one year, lessening the financial impact each year, Theodore said.
The Phase 1 study by WSP Global Inc., has just started, which will help identify specific improvements along the Crete-Monee Road corridor for truck traffic connecting I-57 and IL 394. The study will take about two to three years before moving onto the next engineering and design phase, which could also take two to three years.
Crete Mayor Michael Einhorn said the funding is important because studies often take years and this helps plan for future growth.
Occasionally, truck drivers don’t correctly read their GPS and drive down side streets, but it is not a big problem now, he said.
He said the study will benefit the village, noting that there are 1,000 acres south of town that are zoned for industrial use, and drivers will need a way to get to the major roads if the land is developed.
“We want to be proactive so our hair is not on fire trying to make something happen,” he said.
University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez said his village has one of the largest industrial parks in the state, and the village is experiencing significant economic development. Local officials are always concerned about the weight of trucks on its roads since road maintenance is both extremely expensive and important, Roudez said. The funding will provide a regional benefit, he said.
The grant was secured by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Matteson), Will County officials said. The $500,000 in federal funding will offset local funds.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
