Updated 9/7/2012 - | Prairie Parkway News Coverage Prior to 2009 | Contact us
The federal government has withdrawn its approval of the proposed Prairie Parkway which would connect I-80 and I-88 in Kane, Kendall, and Grundy counties under an agreement to settle a lawsuit filed by opponents of the highway project. The action eliminates federal funding for the project, and the Illinois Department of Transportation will now shift federal funds previously allocated to the Prairie Parkway to improvements to Illinois 47 and US 34.
In 2010 the Illinois Tollway was looking at the Prairie Parkway as a future tollway project, one of five under consideration. The tollway board met in September 2010 to the review the project and heard from a number of Prairie Parkway opponents. On June 30, 2011, the Tollway announced the list of projects for further consideration -- dropping only the Prairie Parkway. Still in the running for future tollways are (1) the Elgin O'Hare Expressway and western bypass to O'Hare; (2) extending Illinois 53 north into Lake and McHenry counties; (3) the proposed Illiana Expressway into Indiana through the southern suburbs; (4) and rebuilding Interstate 90 to Rockford. Also added to the list was the I-294 interchange with I-57.
The Illinois Department of Transportation issued its 2013-2018 Highway Improvement Program this spring, and it includes no funding for the Prairie Parkway. None. No mention. Nothing. Just as there has been no Prairie Parkway funding included since 2008.
This year, however, included a major change: For Fiscal Year 2013 which began July 1, 2012, IDOT is planning to shift the federal funding previously pegged for the Prairie Parkway to improvements to IL 47 and US 34. Of course, IDOT has already squandered some $70 million on the moribund Prairie Parkway and purchased about 250 acres for the project.
Here's the Highway Improvement Program description of the IL 47 and US 34 work being planned:
Illinois 47 from Caton Farm Road to 0.6 mile north of Interstate 80 at Morris.
Reconstruction with additional lanes for 12 miles, culvert replacements, bridge replacements, land acquisition, utility adjustments and construction engineering are programmed during FY 2013-2018 at a cost of $98.9 million. Of this total, land acquisition is programmed in FY 2013 at a cost of $3 million. SAFETEA-LU provided $81 million in NCII funds for this project.
US 34 from Illinois 47 to Orchard Road west of Oswego.
Reconstruction with additional lanes for 3.5 miles, curb and gutter, new storm sewer, land acquisition, construction engineering and utility adjustments are programmed during FY 2013-2018 at a cost of $36.6 million. Of this total, land acquisition is programmed in FY 2013 at a cost of $1 million. SAFETEA-LU provided $29.2 million in NCII funds for this project.
See the 2013-2018 Highway Improvement Program (District 3) online.
In December 2005, just five months after he secured $207 million in federal funds for the Prairie Parkway, House Speaker Dennis Hastert sold 138 acres of land near the highway route, netting him a $2 million profit on land held for three years or less. See additional details in Prairie Parkway News Coverage and in a Report prepared by the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington DC based Congressional watchdog organization.
Another watchdog group on 2006 called for a Department of Justice investigation of Hastert's land dealings and highway "earmarks." See the details at the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington website.
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