Chicago Tribune
January 16, 2007
By William Presecky
Tribune staff reporter
In response to protests from opponents of the proposed Prairie Parkway
through Kendall County, the Illinois Department of Transportation last
week added a Feb. 13 hearing to solicit comments on the plan.
Environmental and public interest groups opposed to the proposed
highway linking Interstate Highways 80 and 88 prompted state highway
planners to schedule the additional public hearing.
IDOT added the hearing on the draft environmental impact statement to
seek comments on the study's two construction alternatives and
so-called "no build" alternative. The groups complained that the
language used by IDOT to advertise two of public hearings held in
December was technically flawed and did not provide enough time for
written comments on the draft impact statement.
In addition to scheduling another public hearing, set for Yorkville,
IDOT also has agreed to extend until Feb. 28 the period for accepting
written comments on the various parkway alternatives.
Chicago-based Openlands was one of five organizations to call for an
additional hearing and more time to comment on the parkway study
alternatives.
One of the final route alternatives being proposed is a straight,
34-mile north-south connector segment about 4 miles west of Illinois
Highway 47 between I-88 near Kaneville in Kane County and I-80 near
Morris in Grundy County. The other, 37 miles long, is similar to the
first except that south of Caton Farm Road it traverses to the east to
connect to I-80 near Minooka at the Grundy County border with Will
County.
The draft environmental impact statement is posted on the Internet at www.prairie-parkway.com or at www.dot.state.il.us.
The federally mandated, 60-day public comment period on the final routing options was scheduled to expire Tuesday.
IDOT's open house-style hearing on Feb. 13 is set for 5:30 to 8 p.m. in
the historic Kendall County Courthouse, 110 W. Madison St., Yorkville.
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