IDOT plans to rebuild, widen 3.4 miles of Route 34

May 29, 2009
By ROWENA VERGARA

YORKVILLE -- Drivers clogged on the two-lane Route 34 from Yorkville to Oswego could have a smoother commute in the near future. The Illinois Department of Transportation is proposing a 3.4-mile reconstruction from Route 47 in Yorkville to Orchard Road in Oswego, which will include widening the road from two to four lanes with some turn lanes.

IDOT officials presented their proposal Thursday during an open house at the Yorkville Public Library. The project has been ongoing at least since 2005 when IDOT held an informational public meeting in Yorkville. From the city's standpoint, the reconstruction is a major way to spur commercial development on the busy thoroughfare.

There's potential for new businesses and commercial development on about two miles of the project on the north side of Route 34, said Lynn Dubajic, executive director of the Yorkville Economic Development Corporation. Specifically, land is available for commercial activity from Route 47 to Autumn Creek Boulevard. "It would definitely give us an advantage having the infrastructure in place," Dubajic said. The project is also aesthetically pleasing, a quality that could naturally attract developers to the bustling road.

IDOT has marked out space for a 10-foot-wide, asphalt trail for hiking, walking and biking from Marketplace Drive to Timber Ridge Drive, on the north side of Route 34. Additionally, the several medians that would be added to Route 34 will be grassy, giving off a "parkway-like setting," Yorkville Community Development Director Travis Miller said. "For the state to be advancing improvements, it will make those undeveloped properties hopefully more marketable," Miller said.

Much like Route 47, which has also been proposed for a widening, Route 34 is also at its capacity in terms of cars per day. In 2003, about 9,000 to 12,000 cars traveled daily on Route 34. A regular two-lane road hits capacity at about 12,000 cars, said Dave Alexander, a project liaison for IDOT said. The $27.8 million project could take two years to complete after it is approved for construction.

IDOT expects to complete its Phase 1 preliminary engineering study by the end of this year. Once approved, officials will begin its Phase 2 preliminary engineering design, which has already been funded.