16th District Congressman Don Manzullo has sent out a press release outlining items for McHenry County that are in the recently passed omnibus budget bill. Water and roads were his priorities.

These were not listed in U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s list:

Congress Approves $545,000 Manzullo Secured to Help
Ease Congestion, Protect Water in McHenry County
(WASHINGTON) The U.S. House and Senate this week approved an appropriations bill that includes funding to extend Algonquin Road west of Huntley and help implement a program to ensure abundant and safe drinking water for McHenry County residents and prevent catastrophic floods. The President has stated he will sign the bill into law within the next two weeks.

The funding was included in the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill Congress approved this week. The McHenry County projects secured by Manzullo include:

• $295,000 to help implement the McHenry County Groundwater/Stormwater Protection program. More than 100 representatives of local governments, private interest groups, and interested citizens helped form a countywide task force earlier this year that is helping to implement the program, created to improve water quality and quantity as McHenry County continues to develop.
• $250,000 to help extend Algonquin Road west of Huntley. The 2.7-mile-long project will extend Algonquin Road west from Route 47, cross Marengo Road and intersect with Harmony Road at Brier Hill Road just west of the Huntley High School campus. The federal funds would be used to design a grade-separated highway structure over the Union Pacific Railroad as part of the road project.

“McHenry County is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, which is why thousands of new residents flock to the area each year,” Manzullo said.

“With this growth comes tremendous pressure on McHenry County’s infrastructure and natural resources. I sought and secured this federal funding because I know the county’s ability to relieve traffic congestion, provide groundwater to its residents, and prevent catastrophic floods is essential to McHenry County’s future and the comfort of generations to come.”