IDOT Open House Provides Update on I-55/Weber Interchange Study

A year after a first public meeting on proposed improvements to the I-55 and Weber Road interchange, representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation hosted an open house at to update residents on the early stages of the project.

This time, they came armed with information on possible alternatives for alleviating congestion, addressing safety issues and increasing capacity and access to the busy interstate. In return, IDOT asked residents for feedback on the six possible interchange types that could be used to improve access, as well as thoughts on the possible economic and environmental impact the project could have.

The project's study area extends along Weber Road from from 135th Street in Romeoville to 119th Street in Bolingbrook, and a half-mile east of Weber along I-55.

The Village of Romeoville has partnered with IDOT, Will County and the Village of Bolingbrook on the project, according to Mayor John Noak.

IDOT staffers and representatives from Chicago engineering firm Clark Dietz were on hand Thursday to answer any questions residents may have.

One man, who declined to give his name, said he was there because he didn’t know much about the proposed project.

“I’m just here to see what it’s about,” he said.

Project status

While IDOT’s share of the project funding is included in its multi-year plan for 2012-2017, it’s still in the early stages, according to IDOT Consultant Studies Unit Head Steve Schilke. With so many options still on the table, it’s too early to say how much the project could cost, he said.

Phase 1, including the environmental and preliminary engineering study, won’t be completed until mid-2012. After that, Phase 2 land acquisition could take up to two years before the last phase — construction — could begin.

After IDOT’s first public meeting in April 2010, members of a Community Advisory Group (CAG), made up of local officials, members of the business community and affected fire protection districts, worked to come up with what Schilke called a statement of purpose and need for the project.

Simply put, the proposed improvements would address safety issues, including pedestrian and bicycle access, operational deficiencies like inadequate lane markings, and capacity issues as the volume of traffic continues to increase on Will County roadways.

A high number of rear-end crashes at the site are also indicative of areas with unusually high traffic congestion, according to IDOT.

 Exploring the alternatives

As residents arrived at village hall Thursday, they were invited to view a short slideshow depicting some of the alternatives the CAG, Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and IDOT project team have discussed. The first option under consideration is to build a new interchange, which could be one of six types:

• A cloverleaf interchange, which would allow for free-flowing traffic, but would require a large building footprint and would not address pedestrian safety issues.
• A partial cloverleaf, which offers some free-flowing movement and traffic-signal control, but with a smaller footprint.
• A diamond, similar to the existing I-55 and Weber interchange, but updated to meet current engineering standards.
• A split diamond, which would be fully signal controlled and allow access to the highway via two locations: Weber Road and Veterans Parkway.
• A single-point urban diamond, which would feature one large signalized bridge structure.
• A diverging diamond, which would accommodate a heavy volume of left-turn traffic and free-flow interstate entrances. That option would be largely unfamiliar to Illinois drivers, since the closest interchange of its kind is located in Springfield, Missouri.

At Thursday’s open house, residents were invited to submit their own drawings if they thought of an idea not included in IDOT’s list of alternatives.

But a new interchange isn’t the only option being explored by the CAG and TAG groups. Other ways to alleviate congestion and safety issues are under consideration, such as the possible widening of Weber Road from four to six lanes near I-55, along with the addition of raised medians and physically separated turn lanes. Better traffic signal coordination at nearby intersections and improved lane striping are also on the table.

A third possibility is what IDOT officials referred to as “other mode accommodations,” which could include improvements like a pedestrian/bicycle access built over I-55, space for a PACE Park-N-Ride or a connections to existing bike path networks.

The Phase 1 study, which Schilke said is about halfway complete, is also taking a look at possible negative impacts of the projects, considering both environmental effects such as nearby wetlands and recreation or agricultural areas, as well as the economic impact the project could have on residents and businesses.

“All the alternatives will be weight into the project,” Schilke said. “The people in this area know the area,” he added. “If there’s something we’re not thinking of, that’s what we’re looking for.”

Next steps

IDOT will use the feedback submitted by residents to help whittle down the number of alternatives. A third public meeting will be held this fall to help narrow the number of alternatives even further, Schilke said.

A public hearing regarding whichever option ends up being the preferred alternative will take place sometime in 2012, he added.

On Thursday, residents were invited to submit any drawings or feedback in a comment box, but those who missed the meeting can still have their say.

Comment forms are available on the project website and can be mailed or sent electronically to IDOT. The deadline to submit comments, both in writing and via the Internet, is May 26.

For more on the project, including the slideshow and information provided at the May 12 open house, visit the project website, www.i55atweber.com.