McHenry County Blog

I always get exercised when I see marginal highway projects in Downstate Illinois, while area residents are threatened (with the support of local officials) with a local toll bridge across the Fox River between Carpentersville and Algonquin.

In 2007, we were driving from McHenry County to Coles County via Interstate 57.

Right north of where we got off the highway in the Mattoon area, we saw a new overpass.

“What a waste!” I thought.

Coles County Population shows no growth since 1980.

It’s not as if the area is growing.

Then I thought of Eagle Creek Resort, a state-owned, but not flourishing resort on Lake Shelby we stayed at.

We enjoyed it.

I got a marvelous photo of a butterfly and a little girl and her father in the pool where my son spent most of his time.

I was told the overpass was to provide better access to it. Some were planning to put a casino there.

Overpass being build in 2007 north of Mattoon in Coles County.

So, I took a picture of it on the way home.

Another overpass was being constructed on the east side of Champaign in 2007.

When we got to the Champaign area, I spotted another new overpass.

“Another waste,” I thought.

At least Champaign County's population is growing a little bit.

Another photo opportunity.

Fast forward almost three years and what does the news say about the Champaign County overpass?

That Republican candidate Bill Brady had a subdivision he was trying to build east of town and the overpass would make that possible.

That he voted for the bill to build the overpass.

Charges of conflict of interest.

Just in case you think any candidate for governor is pure as the driven snow.

And, what about McHenry County’s population growth?

While Coles County population flatlined and Champign increase every so little, McHenry County's population soared.

And Kane County’s growth was none to shabby either.

Kane County has seen steady growth.

That sucking sound you hear is Northern Illinois Motor Fuel Tax money draining south for marginal road projects, while we sit in traffic jams.

When people comment on the articles I post on Illinois Review, I get copies emailed to me.

There have been four comments so far on my article on how Governor Rod Blagojevich is managing to find money to build two bridges—one, as a reader points out, a complete interchange— over I-57 in Central Illinois, but can’t find money to build a bridge across the Fox River in southern Algonquin.

The first two have to do with the influence that federal money has on state decisions. The third seems to agree with my inference that the Fox River bridge, which local officials are trying to turn into a toll bridge, will have much more traffic than those on I-57.

The fourth is really interesting; especially in view of our family’s recent trip to Eagle Creek Resort on Lake Shelby for the wedding of Catherine Morris and Jeff Black.

Let me emphasize it here:

Posted by: Todd | Friday, September 07, 2007 at 09:46 AM

Actually, the bridge in Coles county is being built for one very good reason (state idea not mine).

While the local city and county governments think it is valuable to keep trucks out of their respective cities, the reality is that the state went along with the proposal to allow quick access to a gambling boat on Lake Shelbyville.

This interchange will allow a straight shot to Eagle Creek Resort from I-57 to allow your neighbors access to this boat without coming into contact with the “hicks” in Mattoon.

That would be a downright intriguing motivation, wouldn’t it?

And, having gotten lost in Mattoon (or was it Charleston) on the way to Shelbyville from Springfield, a short cut would have been appreciated.

Comments

Federal spending steers local spending. The #1 goal of local spending is to leverage

Federal spending. The presumption of the spenders is always that getting some other taxing entity’s money is getting FREE MONEY.

What benefits the public is far down the list of priorities.

Solution: Eliminate the Federal DOT and all Federal transportation taxes (gasoline, tires, batteries, airports, etc).

Then the State transportation decisions would not be based on getting Federal money.

This would still not be perfect. But it would be much better than the current system.

Posted by: Bob Schmidt | Tuesday, September 04, 2007 at 11:39 AM

Solution: Eliminate the Federal DOT and all Federal transportation taxes (gasoline, tires, batteries, airports, etc).

Then the State transportation decisions would not be based on getting Federal money.

I’m all for that as State decisions about a lot of issues; transportation,health care, education… are based on getting that Fed money.

I wish there was a party and legislators that would actually stand by some fiscal responsibility.

I thought the Champaign project was an entrance/exit ramp, not just an overpass. It’s right next to new subdivisions. It’s not really necessary imo, but someone got their earmark. Maybe Rep. T Johnson?

I did have to laugh about Cal complaining about money heading south for once instead of the Chicago area Black Hole. But he has a valid point from what I see.

Posted by: Susan Ryan | Tuesday, September 04, 2007 at 08:24 PM

Yeah…so? How many people drive 31 over the Fox, and how many people live adjacent to 57 and 294, Cal? Do the math; it will instantly be one of the busiest interchanges in the area when completed.

Posted by: Jerry | Thursday, September 06, 2007

When people comment on the articles I post on Illinois Review, I get copies emailed to me.

There have been four comments so far on my article on how Governor Rod Blagojevich is managing to find money to build two bridges—one, as a reader points out, a complete interchange— over I-57 in Central Illinois, but can’t find money to build a bridge across the Fox River in southern Algonquin.

The first two have to do with the influence that federal money has on state decisions. The third seems to agree with my inference that the Fox River bridge, which local officials are trying to turn into a toll bridge, will have much more traffic than those on I-57.

The fourth is really interesting; especially in view of our family’s recent trip to Eagle Creek Resort on Lake Shelby for the wedding of Catherine Morris and Jeff Black.

Let me emphasize it here:

Posted by: Todd | Friday, September 07, 2007 at 09:46 AM

Actually, the bridge in Coles county is being built for one very good reason (state idea not mine).

While the local city and county governments think it is valuable to keep trucks out of their respective cities, the reality is that the state went along with the proposal to allow quick access to a gambling boat on Lake Shelbyville.

This interchange will allow a straight shot to Eagle Creek Resort from I-57 to allow your neighbors access to this boat without coming into contact with the “hicks” in Mattoon.

That would be a downright intriguing motivation, wouldn’t it?

And, having gotten lost in Mattoon (or was it Charleston) on the way to Shelbyville from Springfield, a short cut would have been appreciated.

Comments

Federal spending steers local spending. The #1 goal of local spending is to leverage

Federal spending. The presumption of the spenders is always that getting some other taxing entity’s money is getting FREE MONEY.

What benefits the public is far down the list of priorities.

Solution: Eliminate the Federal DOT and all Federal transportation taxes (gasoline, tires, batteries, airports, etc).

Then the State transportation decisions would not be based on getting Federal money.

This would still not be perfect. But it would be much better than the current system.

Posted by: Bob Schmidt | Tuesday, September 04, 2007 at 11:39 AM

Solution: Eliminate the Federal DOT and all Federal transportation taxes (gasoline, tires, batteries, airports, etc).

Then the State transportation decisions would not be based on getting Federal money.

I’m all for that as State decisions about a lot of issues; transportation,health care, education… are based on getting that Fed money.

I wish there was a party and legislators that would actually stand by some fiscal responsibility.

I thought the Champaign project was an entrance/exit ramp, not just an overpass. It’s right next to new subdivisions. It’s not really necessary imo, but someone got their earmark. Maybe Rep. T Johnson?

I did have to laugh about Cal complaining about money heading south for once instead of the Chicago area Black Hole. But he has a valid point from what I see.

Posted by: Susan Ryan | Tuesday, September 04, 2007 at 08:24 PM

Yeah…so? How many people drive 31 over the Fox, and how many people live adjacent to 57 and 294, Cal? Do the math; it will instantly be one of the busiest interchanges in the area when completed.

Posted by: Jerry | Thursday, September 06, 2007

Route 31 is disintegrating in McHenry County.

Local public officials are calling for the Bolz Road bridge over the Fox River to be financed with tolls.

Yet two new bridges are being constructed over Interstate 57 near university towns in central Illinois.

Both are major state highway expenditures.

I-57 is a lot like a river. You can’t cross it except at over or underpasses.

One new overpass is north of Mattoon in Coles County.

Coles is a county that had an estimated 50,949 people in it as of 2006.

It has lost 2,247 people–4.2% of its population–since the U.S. Census in 2000.

But, it gets a new bridge.

The other overpass is being built in the Champaign area.

At least Champaign County has grown.

Its population is up 3.3% during the first six years of this decade. Up 6,013.

Not only is it getting a new overpass. It is getting an entire new cloverleaf.

Huntley can’t get half a cloverleaf on Route 47, but Champaign gets one of I-57.

Priorities, you know.

Let’s compare their growth or loss of population with what has happened in McHenry and Kane Counties.

McHenry grew by 20.1%. 53,296 more people lived here in 2006 than were here in 2000.

Kane increased its population by 89,616—a 22.2% increase.

Now, all of these new folks didn’t move to homes west of the Fox River, but a lot of them did…probably a majority.

142,912 more people in McHenry and Kane Counties, but no new bridges financed by state government.

How pathetic.

= = = = =
The photos of the two new overpasses and Route 31 at Terra Cotta can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Route 31 is disintegrating in McHenry County.

Local public officials are calling for the Bolz Road bridge over the Fox River to be financed with tolls.

Yet two new bridges are being constructed over Interstate 57 near university towns in central Illinois.

Both are major state highway expenditures.

I-57 is a lot like a river. You can’t cross it except at over or underpasses.

One new overpass is north of Mattoon in Coles County.

Coles is a county that had an estimated 50,949 people in it as of 2006.

It has lost 2,247 people–4.2% of its population–since the U.S. Census in 2000.

But, it gets a new bridge.

The other overpass is being built in the Champaign area.

At least Champaign County has grown.

Its population is up 3.3% during the first six years of this decade. Up 6,013.

Not only is it getting a new overpass. It is getting an entire new cloverleaf.

Huntley can’t get half a cloverleaf on Route 47, but Champaign gets one of I-57.

Priorities, you know.

Let’s compare their growth or loss of population with what has happened in McHenry and Kane Counties.

McHenry grew by 20.1%. 53,296 more people lived here in 2006 than were here in 2000.

Kane increased its population by 89,616—a 22.2% increase.

Now, all of these new folks didn’t move to homes west of the Fox River, but a lot of them did…probably a majority.

142,912 more people in McHenry and Kane Counties, but no new bridges financed by state government.

How pathetic.

= = = = =
The photos of the two new overpasses and Route 31 at Terra Cotta can be enlarged by clicking on them.