Palatine Road upgrades planned through village's downtown

Plans are in the works for Palatine Road improvements including intersection upgrades and pavement reconstruction from Quentin Road to Smith Street in the village's downtown.

Officials said the idea is to improve safety and relieve congestion on the roughly 1-mile stretch of road. Another goal is to connect residents in neighborhoods west of Quentin to downtown Palatine, in part by providing easier ways to get around on foot or by bicycle.

Village council members have launched an initial step in a multitiered process by approving $379,093 from this year's budget for preliminary engineering work. Because the proposed project is eligible for a federal grant to defray half the preliminary engineering, Palatine expects a $189,547 reimbursement.

Mayor Jim Schwantz complimented top village administrators for seeking Federal-Aid Highway Program grants. The federal cash is distributed for the interstate highway system, primary roads and secondary local streets.

"It's outstanding to be able to find them and to get money into the village that's still our money, right?" Schwantz said. "We're still taxpayers. It's federal dollars, but we're going out and getting grant dollars, which is outstanding."

Village Manager Reid Ottesen stressed the importance of getting through the early engineering process.

"We have to get this engineering phase done to even be competitive (for federal grants), so we can go to the next level where we try to get $4 million, $5 million to help pay for the rest of the project," Ottesen said.

Under the proposal, work would include pavement reconstruction, upgrades at the signalized intersections, drainage improvements and better lighting, as well as redone paths for pedestrians and bicyclists from Smith Street on the east to Quentin Road on the west.

Before any construction occurs, Itasca-based engineering firm Bollinger, Lach and Associates Inc. must conduct traffic counts, hydraulic studies, bridge assessments, soil investigation and other work to fulfill requirements from the village, Federal Highway Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Specific construction plans would evolve from a second, detailed engineering phase that would take into account tree surveys, crash analysis and other data. Three public information meetings and feedback from the Bike Palatine Club and school district also would be necessary, officials said.