Morris Daily Herald
January 19, 2007
Prairieland Parkway decision delayed
By Jo Ann Hustis
Herald Reporter
LISLE - Extending the public comment period gives those opposing the
Prairie Parkway more time to define and consolidate their views.
"Certainly we welcome the opportunity to make a better presentation of
our case," noted Jan Strasma, chairman of Citizens Against the
Sprawl-way, one of five organized groups in opposition to the
multi-million dollar, controversial project.
"I think the public is better served with more time in which to comment.
"I think this is making a difference, extending it. People and
organizations are saying this is giving us more time to do a better
job."
The Prairie Parkway, a $253 million proposal in the Illinois Department
of Transportation's current plans, would link Interstate 88 in Kane
County with Interstate 80 in Grundy County.
IDOT expects to finalize in late April or early May its decision on
which connection in Grundy County would best serve the public. The
public comment period is now extended to Feb. 28 from the original Jan.
16 deadline.
The B-2 alternate corridor is located in the Saratoga-Pioneer Road area
in Saratoga and Nettle Creek townships, while the B-5 alternate is
about three miles west of Minooka in Aux Sable townships.
Before next month's hearing was slated, the department was primed to announce the corridor decision in early to mid-February.
Strasma said next month's public hearing and comment period deadline
extension came about because of IDOT's error in the legal announcements
of the public hearings last month in Yorkville and Morris.
"I found the error," he said. "I read the legal notice and I knew the
public hearing was to be on the environmental impact statement, but the
notice said it was for comments on the engineering study and
alternatives. There was no mention of environmental impact. The notice
also didn't tell people they could submit comments up to Jan. 16."
The required public hearings on the engineering study and alternatives
were conducted by IDOT on Dec. 6 and 7 in Yorkville and Morris.
From the point of view of the public, however, the transportation
department issued the environmental impact statement during the
December hearings, with the 60-day comment period extending through the
holiday season, said Strasma.
"Through the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, through New Year's and
even the Dr. Martin Luther King federal holiday on Monday," he noted.
"The holidays made getting the comments together very difficult to do."
Two crucial elements mark the Prairie Parkway proposal.
"One is that IDOT has to complete the environmental impact process
before they can spend a dime of federal money on the project," Strasma
said. "And also, they have to come up with at least $60 million or more
to build the short section of the parkway from Yorkville to Big Rock.
The 12-mile section, known as the Yorkville Bypass, is to be built initially, with construction in 2009 at the earliest.
The bypass is in the center of the proposal, and extends from Illinois
71 at Yorkville to Illinois 30, with interchanges at U.S. 34 and
between Big Rock and Sugar Grove, from which motorists can get to I-88.
Strasma said $207 million in appropriations for the Prairie Parkway was
earmarked in the federal budget last year while Congressman Dennis
Hastert, R-Yorkville, was still House Speaker.
The federal funds, however, require a 20 percent match by the state of Illinois, which he said amounts to about $52 million.
"The cost estimate in the IDOT plan for the parkway is now $253
million. Costs are escalating. The cost of materials is going up. Other
highway projects are coming in significantly over budget," Strasma
noted.
"In our view, the state is much better off taking the money
appropriated for the connection between I-80 and I-88, and improving
the connection they already have, which is Illinois 47."
IDOT's environmental impact statement indicates the Prairie Parkway
will improve the average speed two-tenths of one mile per hour in the
study area for traffic moving through Kendall County and adjacent
areas, he said.
"They're not broadcasting the overall improvement in traffic congestion
and movement is very small, compared to if they did other highway
projects in their books," Strasma said. "And that's progress?"