Elburn seeks safety fixes for Anderson Road, bridge
Elburn officials like the new Anderson Road bridge and extension connecting Keslinger Road to Route 38.
The village worked for years to get the bridge. Many of the current trustees stood around on a cold morning Dec. 7 to dedicate it, even though the bridge wasn't visible through the thick fog.
Village President Dave Anderson noted Monday night that people have told him the bridge cuts the time it takes to cross Elburn to get to and from McDonald's or the post office, since they no longer get stuck by freight trains at downtown crossings.
But residents also said they would like to see a few things done to increase safety on the stretch.
Trustees said Monday better signage is needed alerting people to the turnoff for the Metra station access drive, south of the bridge. One trustee wants some sort of barricade placed across the stub of a future Hicks Drive connection.
Some want signs alerting drivers on Prairie Valley Street that Anderson no longer dead-ends at the intersection and blasts through at 45 mph. And maybe flashing lights around the signs to get drivers' attention.
How about a streetlight at Anderson with Keslinger, where there is a new stoplight? Are there plans to install a stoplight at Anderson and Route 38, now that the intersection is busier? And why the heck are there light poles on the bridge but no lights, people asked.
Village Administrator Erin Willrett said she's spoken with Kane County officials about the concerns and will be meeting with them and Kaneland school district officials.
Laura Garland, Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School at Anderson and Prairie Valley, has some as-yet-unspecified concerns, Willrett said.
The bridge and road extension were built by Kane County; Elburn will take over jurisdiction late next year. Until then, it is up to the county and Metra to make changes, Willrett said.
Metra has ordered new signs for the access road, she said, which should help cut down on the number of drivers who miss it, cross the bridge and make U-turns in the wide, shallow ditch-style median.
Elburn Public Works Director John Nevenhoven said he was told by a county worker the streetlight at Keslinger should be installed any day.
As for the unlighted streetlights on the bridge, there isn't electricity running to them yet, Willrett said. Electricity will be connected once Shodeen Inc., which is building the Elburn Station mixed-use development along Anderson, runs electrical lines to its project.
And currently, the Anderson and Route 38 intersection does not have enough traffic, under state standards, for a traffic light.
Willrett said that is expected to change now that the bridge is open. But the state does not have a traffic light listed in its five-year construction plan. So even if the intersection qualifies, it could be several years before installation, unless the village wants to pay the entire bill for it, Willrett said.