Ditches and Guardrails on Fleming Road Not Needed: Fleming Road Alliance

A fifth missive to the County Board from the Fleming Road Alliance:

To:  Ken Koehler, Chair, McHenry County Board; County Board Members

From: Fleming Road Alliance

Re: Update on Fleming Road Alliance Position on Improvements for Fleming Road.

Dear County Board Representatives:

Guardrails: In Design Options 3 & 4, TranSystems has included guardrails.

Guard rails have never been necessary, and will not be necessary if the road remains in the same footprint.

MCDOT and TranSystem Safety Studies show Fleming to be a very safe road so there is no justification for guard rails.

Again, widening the pavement will have a ripple effect to require guardrails, which will require back filling which will kill the surrounding trees and change the functioning drainage.

Hills and Valleys, Curves, Sight Distance: We are very glad to know that according to the 3-R standards MCDOT is applying, none of the curves in the road require straightening.

The hills and valleys however, or the ‘sight distance” are a topic of contention between us.

Grading to shave off hills and fill in valleys will impact almost all of the driveways along the road making some inaccessible and requiring extensive modification to others.

It also requires destruction of trees. (As well as creating drainage problems – see Curb and Gutter, Ditching, Drainage).  We recommend no change in vertical or horizontal alignment.

Instead we are asking for a speed limit reduction.

Simply reducing the speed reduces the standard required sight distance, and increases safety, (see Speed Limits and Weight Postings) hence our request for that solution rather than the more invasive grading proposed by MCDOT.  Again, we request that MCDOT seek a variance.

Fleming Road Alliance Organizing Committee

Ed Bennett, Mary Moltman. Lisa Rhoades, Marti Jadd, Linda Ramsey, Stanley Jarosz, Phyllis Keinz, Kevin Keesee, Emily Berendt, Deb Staley, Bjorn Mattsson


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