As part of long-term infrastructure planning, Cook County officials say plans to improve the Plainfield Road corridor remain on schedule in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We think we’re doing a good job given the COVID situation,” Sanjay Joshi, project manager for the corridor study, said. “Everything is on schedule.”
The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways is currently surveying residents about plans to improve the Plainfield Road corridor, which extends east from County Line Road in the village of Burr Ridge and runs west of East Avenue in the village of McCook. The polling, set to take place from Sept. 8-29, is conducted online at improveplainfieldroad.org.
Early on in 2020, the project received backing from officials to get a phase I study of preliminary engineering and environmental study started.
The county has already identified several goals the projects will address, including safety improvements, enhanced connectivity and accommodations for bicyclist and pedestrians, reconstruction and update of roadway and drainage infrastructure, and accommodation of projected of year 2050 travel demands. Still, officials want to hear from residents about their experiences in order to better gauge the communities needs.
The survey has generated participation, which Joshi described as “a good amount of comments.”
What the improvements to the corridor will consist of remains up in the air—at least for now.
Joshi said the project could include shared left-hand turns and right-turn lanes, but it’s not definitive.
The corridor currently includes some accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians, but other parts do not. Officials are working to ensure there is equal access to opportunities for people to put the roadway to use.
There are some drainage issues along Plainfield Road. From manholes and roadside ditches, officials are looking to improve the stormwater system along the roadway.
Plans for the corridor will be solidified upon completion of the phase I study, officials said.
In the meantime, the county takes pride in its ongoing efforts to coordinate improvements with area municipalities and agencies to mitigate potential impacts.
“We are coordinating with many of the agencies that have projects adjacent to ours,” Joshi said. “We’ll be continuing that throughout to make sure anything that they’re doing doesn’t conflict what we’re doing and what they do will be useful to our project.”
The project timeline indicates the next step is a review and refinement of alternatives. This stage will consist of meetings of the corridor advisory committee and the public.
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