Route 53 widening still up in the air

A state plan to widen Route 53 south of Butterfield Road near Glen Ellyn still is on the table -- and neighbors still say it's a bad idea.

Illinois Department of Transportation officials plan to widen Route 53 to four lanes between Butterfield and Park Boulevard.

In addition, the plan calls for Butterfield to be widened to six lanes from Route 53 to Lloyd Avenue. The intersection of Route 53 and Butterfield also is slated be improved, including the addition of crosswalks.

John Baczek, the head of IDOT's consultant studies unit, said state funding will pay for the estimated $21 million to $27 million project. The costs of possible land acquisition and engineering haven't been estimated yet, he said.

IDOT may have to acquire about a dozen residential properties for the project, which, if approved, is expected to begin in late 2010.

"Nothing is formally approved at this point," Baczek said. "We're still in our preliminary engineering and public input (stages)."

Residents in the Valley View subdivision have met with IDOT officials a handful of times and are pushing their own plan, which consists of keeping the road in the same alignment and only adding left and right turning lanes, stop lights and cul-de-sacs.

Residents have expressed concerns about noise and the possibility of large trucks using a widened Route 53.

"We're in favor of making improvements, but many of us have never felt that a four-lane road is really necessary," resident Lyn Refakes said. "We understand (IDOT's) position and what they're saying, but we still respectfully believe the modern improvement would take care of the issues."

Next month, IDOT officials plan to meet with residents again to discuss drainage and possibly develop some solutions.

"We're going to continue an analysis of the pros and cons of both, and hopefully … come to a consensus on a solution that meets all the primary purposes of the project," Baczek said.

A final decision on the project could be made in the spring.