Randall Road Improvements in Kane County

[ChiMilNet]

My thought here was that Kane county seems to not deem it a big problem, while McHenry county does, so if it were a state project maybe it wouldn't be seen as so much a county by county problem but a much bigger problem. Nothing I hate more than projects that could take 6 years end up taking 15 years. Sectional construction on roads is one of the worse things you can do from a design standpoint. The bottlenecks and traffic data you get from them are so misleading.

You're talking about a state that lets problems like this fester for 20-30 years while the counties actually do something about it.  I can name many, many instances where a county highway has been upgraded while the state route is still two lanes.

Randall road-4 lanes

IL-25 in most sections paralleling Randall-2 lanes, most without a median

IL-31 in most sections paralleling Randall-2 lanes.

However Dupage county has done better with state roads-IL-56 (Butterfield road,)  has been upped to 4 lanes until the EJ&E tracks, North ave is 6 lanes throughout Dupage county, 59 being 6 lanes near I-88, and fixing IL-53 near Itasca/Addison.

Kane county has been ripped off by the state in comparison to Dupage county.

North Cook is what pisses me off the most- 6 lanes of Golf road turning into 2 with no median near Barrington road in less than a mile. 2 lanes, no median, all the way until Elgin. And Barrington road and IL-59 being 2 lanes north of I-90 ugh.

The issue with Golf Road I've heard has somewhat to do with the forest preserve, and I wouldn't be surprised if any of the towns with the name "Barrington" in it are a significant part of the reason for the lack of widening on IL 59 and Barrington Road.

It is remarkable how much better Kane County has been about widening Randall Road than IDOT about the parallel roads. At least it is 4 lanes and lit up where it needs to be. I'm sure Randall Road will be 6 lanes long before either IL 31 or IL 25 have 4 lanes much of the way.

Simplistically speaking,
Why can't IDOT donate some land somewhere else or give a cash donation for the land in Cook county forest preserve? I know this was a problem a few years ago with Dupage forest preserve and Dupage county transportation when they wanted to widen S. Bartlett road and add a median. In the end Dupage county transportation just gave Dupage county forest preserve land somewhere else in exchange for the land necessary for widening S. Bartlett road.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised with those Barringtons throwing a hissy fit for widening their precious road. Barrington roads under IDOT jurisdiction, no? I know IDOT is planning on widening the intersection of irving park and barrington road.

I've heard several instances where the Cook County Forest Preserve has worked to prevent widening. They even do it to their own highway department. An example is Quentin Road North of IL 68 (Dundee Road). Both North and South of that stretch through the forest preserve have now been widened to four or five lanes, but that stretch through the forest preserve is still a two lane choke-point.

I believe Irving Park Road and Barrington Road is within Hanover Park. The Barringtons throw a fit over any type of progress (especially Barrington Hills). Why else is Algonquin Road still two lanes in between IL 68 and IL 25? Although, getting back on topic, it seems even once IDOT does get clearance on anything, it just sits. I mean, look how long it finally took them to reroute IL 31 in Algonquin, yet Randall Road and other Kane County Highways at least get some of the attention they need in a semi realistic timetable.

[Revive 755]

I've heard several instances where the Cook County Forest Preserve has worked to prevent widening. They even do it to their own highway department. An example is Quentin Road North of IL 68 (Dundee Road). Both North and South of that stretch through the forest preserve have now been widened to four or five lanes, but that stretch through the forest preserve is still a two lane choke-point.

The relationships between the County DOTs and the County Forest Preserves are interesting. The Forest Preserve Districts almost always have to get a permit to do any improvements to the county roads (such as a pedestrian underpass), the same as a private developer would.

I believe Irving Park Road and Barrington Road is within Hanover Park.

Per the street name signs at the intersection, you are correct

And Barrington road and IL-59 being 2 lanes north of I-90 ugh.

IIRC, IDOT did try to get CMAQ funding a couple years ago to fill in the gap on Barrington Road between IL 62 and I-90, but was turned down.