Capital bill has $45.4 million for Route 47

May 28, 2009
By Tony Scott

The $28 billion capital bill passed last week by the Illinois General Assembly includes millions of dollars in funding for widening Ill. Route 47 through downtown Yorkville. The capital bill, the first adopted by state lawmakers in a decade, now awaits the signature of Gov. Pat Quinn.

The bill includes $45.4 million for buying property, readjusting utilities and construction for widening Route 47 from just north of U.S. Route 34 to Ill. Route 71. It also includes $46.4 million for buying property and construction for widening Route 71 from Route 47 to Orchard Road.

Rick Powell, the Illinois Department of Transportation engineer in charge of the Route 47 project, said the agency has already purchased multiple properties for the project and will need to buy 130 properties along the highway before they begin construction. Powell said the process of purchasing the needed properties could take 30 months, or two and a half years, at most. Construction would begin immediately after the property acquisition is complete, he said.

The Route 71 project, Powell said, might need further engineering work because the initial engineering for that project took place several years ago.

Yorkville Mayor Valerie Burd said this week about the passage of the bill, “Hallelujah! That’s my comment.”

“I am really, really excited,” Burd said. “This will have a major impact on Yorkville.” Burd said a plan approved by the city two years ago includes a concept for developing the area just south of Van Emmon Street on the west side of Route 47, between the highway and Jefferson Street near the Historic Kendall County Courthouse. She said that plan was contingent upon a capital bill being approved.

“As far as what’s going to happen and who’s going to buy the right-of-way over there, we’re working on that,” Burd said.

The city is also working on a Downtown Streetscape Plan that includes work on sidewalks along the highway in downtown Yorkville. That plan is included in the new Integrated Transportation Plan, slated for review by the City Council’s Economic Development Committee in July.

State Rep. Kay Hatcher, R-Yorkville, said the projects funded in the capital bill should help congestion on the county’s roads, and will also create much-needed jobs.

“We live in one of the fastest-growing areas in the country and our infrastructure just has not kept pace,” Hatcher said. “The plan approved today will build new roads, upgrade our public transportation system, and help schools keep up with increasing enrollments. What’s more, it will put an estimated 443,000 people back to work.”

She continued, “Gridlock is here. Our local roads and schools can’t meet the demands of a growing population. Our municipalities, townships and schools need help and local property taxpayers can’t do it alone. This legislation is a win-win proposition. Our long overdue infrastructure upgrades can finally move forward, and we will create hundreds of thousands of new, full-time jobs in the process.”

Lauzen: Route 47 long a top priority

State Senator Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora, emphasized the importance of the bill’s passage for his district.

“The number one priority for my district as long as I’ve served Kendall County is contained in that bill, in that spending plan, and that’s the widening and surfacing of Route 47 through Yorkville,” Lauzen said.

Lauzen said “new leadership” was enough to push the capital bill through the General Assembly, noting the removal of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office in January.

“The absence of one – Rod Blagojevich – and the addition of another who is highly skilled, and that’s (State Senate President John) Cullerton (D-Chicago),” Lauzen said.

Burd credited the city with keeping state lawmakers informed of the importance of the Route 47 project. City officials have visited Springfield in the past as part of regional lobbying efforts to push for passage of a capital bill.

“I think it’s very important to go down there and talk to these people,” she said. “It’s hard for our aldermen to get away who are working full-time and have set hours. But I welcome any of them who want to go down there and talk, and keep a good relationship with our legislators, because it’s really, really important to keep our needs in front of them. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, and we’ve been squeaking a lot.”