McHenry County Blog

Yesterday Nunda Township Supervisor-Elect Lee Jennings sent out another robo-call seeking volunteers.

[Jennings identified this as Rawson Bridge Road near the Broken Oar.  When he emailed me, he said the water was higher on Monday morning.]

People are needed for both heavy lifting and tying up the bags of sand.

Here is Jenning’s plea for help:

Where the Bay Road Nunda Township Office complex is located.

“Even though the rain has stopped, the Fox River continues to rise.

“Nunda Township still needs able bodied volunteers to help operate a sandbagging program to assist our residents affected by the flooding.

“We will not stop until the river crests and the flooding begins to subside.

“Please join us this weekend from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm Saturday and Sunday at the Nunda Township Highway Department located at 3518 Bay Rd. in Crystal Lake.

“Even a few hours of your time will help tremendously.

“If you are in need of sandbags or for more information, please contact the Nunda Highway Dept at 815-459-4410.

“Thank you.”

From the McHenry Department of Transportation:

MCDOT Update

Construction

Rakow Road has been completed. Aside from a few punch list items and tree planting in the spring, this $26 million project was completed ahead of schedule and on budget. The project website was very successful to help keep motorists aware of weekly progress. The website had over 21,500 hits with emails being sent to over 230 residents. Here is a sample comment from a resident from November:

“I really have appreciated theses updates. I forward them to my friends and family, and they all appreciate it and want me to thank you. It really has been a BIG help with our travel time knowing we need to leave earlier for work etc. (GIANT SMILEY FACE)”

 Visit the project website to also see the ribbon cutting ceremony pictures: www.RakowRoad.com.

Miller Road construction has begun. The project has been split into two phases. Phase 1 is from roughly a ¼ mile east of Green Street to River Road. Over this winter, the new bridge that will carry the new westbound lanes will be built. The existing bridge will be used for the eastbound lanes. For photos, project details and to sign up for email updates, Facebook and Twitter, visit the project website at www.CharlesMillerRoad.com.

Walkup Road is now 80% complete and fully prepared for winter shutdown. The project, originally scheduled for completion in 2012, was delayed by AT&T. Project completion is now scheduled for spring 2013. The final project includes a new traffic signal at Mason Hill Road, a bicycle/pedestrian path linking Prairie Ridge High School to downtown Crystal Lake, a new wetland within Veteran Acres Park, replacement of aged water mains, and additional travel/turning lanes at Illinois Route 176 which will improve the operations and safety of the intersection.

For photos, project details and to sign up for email updates, Facebook and Twitter, visit the project website at www.WalkupRoad.com.

Western Algonquin Bypass - Work will continue through the winter on the retaining walls and bridges for the bypass over Algonquin Road. Algonquin Road will remain one lane in each direction through the summer of 2013. Completion of the entire project is anticipated in 2014. Visit http://www.dot.il.gov/IL31alg/index.html for project updates.

 Bridges

The MCDOT has completed three bridge replacement projects this year, all lead by MCDOT Construction Engineering staff and totaling approximately $3.5 million in construction costs.

1. The Blivin Street Bridge in the Village of Spring Grove.

2. The Graf Road Bridge over the Piscasaw Creek in Chemung Township.

3. The Dunham Road Bridge over the Rush Creek in Dunham Township.

Bids were opened for the Hill Road Bridge in Richmond Township and the Lawrence Road Bridge in November for construction in 2013.

This in a continuation of the the winter newsletter from Lakewood Village President Erin Smith.

Bicycle Path for Lakewood Road and Lake Avenue

Our residents have consistently identified the construction of bicycle paths along major arterial streets as a priority for our community.

This is a significant financial challenge, because the cost to retrofit an existing roadway with bicycle paths is much higher than to build them simultaneously.

Staff was successful in obtaining a nearly $425,000 grant to build the path along Huntley Road, and it has been very well received by residents.

After having three grant requests for a Lakewood Road bicycle path rejected by several agencies, I am very pleased to report that staff has successfully secured a grant in an amount of approximately $1.4M that will pay for the repaving of Lakewood Road from Haligus Road to Ackman Road, along with the installation of bicycle paths (similar to those installed along Huntley Road) along the roadway.

In addition, staff secured an additional grant in an amount of approximately $400,000 to pay for repaving of Lake Avenue from Huntley Road to our western boundary at Village Hall, along with the installation of bicycle paths.

This new path will connect to the recently completed Huntley Road bicycle path.

In total, staff obtained approximately in $1.8M in grant funds that will both repave existing roads and install bicycle paths along major arterial streets. Construction cannot begin until 2016, but the engineering work will be budgeted in the upcoming fiscal year. This is a significant achievement for a small community with an annual roadway budget of approximately $250,000.

More tomorrow.

When I first heard of about the Prairie Parkway, I figured it was being built for land speculators.

After all, there was little traffic from I-80 to I-90.

And beyond, according to one McHenry County Board District 2 candidate’s answer to a Northwest Herald questionnaire shortly after the new interstate idea was surfaced by U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Can’t imagine what someone had in mind for the open spaces in District 6?

Think of a four-lane highway running up from the Northwest Tollway to the Wisconsin Interstate north of Richmond.

We should all know by now that four-lane highways bring growth. That’s because people can get farther faster.

So, some folks in McHenry County were planning to replace western McHenry County corn and soy bean fields with fields of housing.

Fortunately, we in McHenry County dodged that bullet.

But the threat to western Kane County remained until this past week when the Federal Highway Administration turned thumbs down on a reduced Prairie Pathway that would have run from I-80 to I-88.

There still leaves the north-south traffic on Route 47

That’s the road I took to Springfield during the 1970′s, so I know it well.

As growth pushed westward, Route 47 got more and more crowded.

Now, the FHA proposes widening Route 47 from I-80 to I-88.

Shame the Feds didn’t decide to widen Route 47 all the way north to I-90 (Huntley), but I think the alternative makes sense.

When the billion dollar cost of the Prairie Parkway was announced, my immediate thought was that immense improvements could be made on Route 47 for that amount of money.

Let me add my congratulations to Jan Strasma, one of the spark plugs behind the Citizens Against the Sprawlway.

The Chicago Tribune’s Jon Hilkevitch’s comprehensive article can be found here.

The web site of the folks who beat the Spralway is here.

That’s what this reminder from the McHenry County Department of Transportation says:

“The McHenry County Division of Transportation will be holding an open house this Thursday, August 23rd, 2012, between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM at the Crystal Lake City Hall.

“Attendees will be able to review the public comments on the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan that have been heard to this point, review the goals and objectives of the plan, and provide their input on the direction of the plan.

“County DOT staff will be in attendance to listen to your ideas and gather input. To learn more about the plan, review documents, and see what others in the County have to say about transportation on the ‘Map’ visit http://www.2040mchenrycountyplan.org.”

Among the information used to create the plan are the following population esxtimates:

If you are more comfortable with graphics that tables, below are maps of households per acre in 2006 and 2030.

Both of these images may be enlarged by clicking on them.

And how does the County Board spent and plan to spend your money between 2006 and 2030. Take a look below:

A press release from the McHenry County Department of Transportation:

McHenry County Division of Transportation 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan Open House

WOODSTOCK, IL – The McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT) is working on the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan to identify the County’s future transportation needs and figure out how to best address them.

As part of this project, MCDOT has been obtaining input through a number of different methods, including pop-up meetings, high school learning programs, focus groups, charettes, library display boards, and an interactive map on the website.

This comprehensive outreach effort has led to an unprecedented amount of participation among the public for a planning effort in McHenry County.

MCDOT will be holding an open house on Thursday, August 23, 2012, between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM at Crystal Lake City Hall.

The purpose of this open house is to allow attendees to review all of the public comment that has been heard to this point, review the goals and objectives of the plan, and provide your input on the direction of the Plan.

County staff and consultants will be in attendance to listen to your ideas and get your input.

To learn more about the Plan, review documents, and see what others in the County have to say about transportation on the “Map” visit http://www.2040mchenrycountyplan.org.

Additional public meetings will be held in the fall to present the draft plan.

The results for the $1 million were not even close in Dunham Township.

63% of the electorate voted to allow the Road District to borrow money to fix local roads.

With the only tax referendum on the ballot, I guess it would be logical for there to be a large voter turnout in Dunham Township.

As of 1:30, 175 people had voted.

Two years ago, a total of 334 voted.

259 pulled Republican ballots and 75 asked to vote in the Democratic Party primary.

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I forgot that Fox River Grove is also holding a tax hike referendum, one to hike sales taxes.