Fall 2016 Newsletter
Will Connects 2040 Prioritizes County’s
Transportation Investments
Since early 2015, the Will County Department of
Transportation (DOT) has been hard at work analyzing our
transportation network and conducting public outreach,
and now we are nearing the end of the Will Connects
2040 planning process. In the Will Connects 2040
Plan, we have developed a plan of action that articulates
our priorities for improvements to county roadways and
advocates for strategic investments for our partner agency
systems, IDOT, Tollway, RTA, Metra, Pace and municipal
networks. Over the next 25 years these investments will
help to ensure that Will County remains a great place to
live, work, and do business.
We began the Will Connects 2040 planning initiative by inviting you to weigh in
through our online community engagement tool. In total, we’ve launched three
online surveys and held 10 in-person Open Houses to make sure that Will Connects
2040 reflects your current and future needs and preferences. You responded,
offering nearly 6,000 inputs through surveys, written comments, and interactive
exercises. You gave us valuable input, telling us about your goals for transportation
and what you want the future to look like. On behalf of the Will County Division of
Transportation, I would like to thank you – we could not have achieved this without
you.
We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet. We now invite you to view the draft
Will Connects 2040 Plan, which will be released in late September on the project
website. The Plan will be available for a 30-day review period, including two public
hearings in October (details right) before it is presented to the County Board for
approval.
Finally, I would like to recognize the contributions of the committed members of
the Will Connects 2040 Advisory Committee. Agency representatives have spent
countless hours sharing information and resources, discussing projects and
alternative scenarios, and analyzing the results.
From the beginning, we have been committed to proactively planning for growth in
Will County to enable our residents and businesses to prosper here and continue
to enjoy a high quality of life. As we work toward implementation, I look forward to
working together with you to move Will County forward.
Sincerely,
Many Ways in 30 Days:
Submit Comments on the
Draft Will Connects 2040
Review the draft Will Connects 2040
Plan which will be available on the
project website beginning September 21.
Comments can be submitted via:
•Project website
•Email: [email protected]
•Mail: Will County
Division of Transportation
Attn: Will Connects 2040
16841 W. Laraway Rd.
Joliet, IL 60433
The 30 day comment period will
begin on September 21, 2016 and
end November 2, 2016.
The public is also invited to two
Public Hearings:
October 11, 4:30 – 7:00 pm
New Lenox Village Hall
One Veterans Parkway
New Lenox, IL 60451
October 18, 4:30 – 7:00 pm
Romeoville Village Hall
1050 West Romeo Road
Romeoville, IL 60446
Public Hearings will highlight critical
information on display boards and the
draft Will Connects 2040 Plan available
on site for review. Project staff will be on
hand to answer questions and a court
reporter will record verbal comments
and receive comment forms.
Larry Walsh
Will County Executive
www.WillConnects2040.org
Will Connects 2040 Transportation Investment
Priorities for County Roadways
Will Connects 2040 articulates our “fiscally constrained” investment
priorities for county roadways, which mean selected projects are based on
reasonably anticipated revenues and expenditures through 2040, while still
funding typical operations and maintenance of county roads. Simply put - we
cannot address all of the Will County DOT’s capital needs within the 2040
horizon year, which include $1.2B (82%) in system expansion and $269M
(18%) in preservation and modernization.
Given the uncertainty surrounding construction of the Illiana
Expressway, Will Connects 2040 identifies two fiscally constrained
sets of project investment priorities: 1) with the Illiana constructed;
and 2) without the Illiana.
Will County Division
of Transportation
16841 W. Laraway
Joliet, IL 60433
T 815.727.8476
Newsletter is available in Spanish.
Available Revenue
for Transportation
Unmet
Transportation
Needs
• Because east/west mobility and connectivity for people and
goods is greatly enhanced with the Iliana, the Will County DOT
is able to focus more on targeted capacity expansion of county
roadways and preservation/modernization projects.
• Without the Illiana, we must find relief valves to enhance
east/west mobility by adding Manhattan-Monee Road as
another major east/west option and making improvements to
Wilmington-Peotone Road to improve travel operations and safety.
County Roadway Investment Priorities
Briggs Street
Maple Road to Division Street
Reconstruction
With
Illiana
●
Center Road
N. Peotone Road to Steger Road
Reconstruction
●
County Freight Study
Countywide
Study
●
●
County Intelligent Transportation
System (ITS) Study
Countywide
Study
●
●
County Transit Study
Countywide
Study
Division Street
Briggs Street to Cedar Road
Reconstruction
●
●
●
●
Gougar Road
Laraway Road to U.S. 6
Widen to 4 lanes
●
Gougar Road Extension
U.S. 52 to Laraway Road
New 4-lane roadway
Laraway Road
U.S. 52 to Harlem Avenue
Widen to 4-lanes
●
●
Manhattan-Monee Road
Interstate 57 to Center Road
Reconstruction
●
Manhattan-Monee Road
U.S. 45 to I-57 (Will County portion
from Center to I-57)
Widen to 4 lanes
Investment Priority
Location/Limits
Improvement
Without
Illiana
●
●
●
Study to Upgrade Existing Interchange Interchange at I-80 & Briggs Street
Study
●
●
Study to Upgrade Existing Interchange Interchange at I-80 & Chicago Street
(US 52/IL 53)
Study
●
●
Wilmington-Peotone Road
TBD Intersection & Spot
Improvements
●
Wilmington-Peotone Road Extension
Ridgeland Avenue to Drecksler Road
New 2-lane roadway
●
n Denotes potential for bicycle accommodation (e.g., bike lane, shared street, sidepath).
www.WillConnects2040.org