Tollway urged to take over Prairie Parkway

Illinois Tollway officials agreed Thursday to review the Prairie Parkway concept, but didn't make any commitments despite a full-court press from supporters and detractors of the expensive project.

The parkway as proposed by the Illinois Department of Transportation would link I-80 and the Reagan Tollway, stretching 37 miles between Kaneville in Kane County and Minooka in Grundy County.

With federal grants, the state has $281 million available but still needs $672 million. IDOT's latest plans involve constructing a 5-mile segment connecting Route 71 south of Yorkville with Route 34 near Plano, which includes a bridge over the Fox River.

Urging the tollway to adopt the project, Kendall County Board Chairman Anne Vickery said the parkway would create jobs and ease congestion in the region.

"The Prairie Parkway will provide 28,000 jobs, and we're all aware of the stagnant economic conditions," she said. "Regional traffic is continuing to increase and travel times are longer."

Supporters noted the tollway isn't reliant on state or federal funding.

"The state has lost its focus," Vickery said. "The tollway has proved when it commits to something, it doesn't lose focus and gets projects completed."

Vickery was accompanied by about 30 local-government officials, labor union representatives and construction contractors.

But while a number of towns plus Kane and Grundy counties back the parkway, five townships in Kane and Kendall counties have voted against it, and environmental groups are also in opposition.

"It's a 5-mile road to nowhere," said Rannalt Bahr, a Montgomery resident and member of the Kendall County Democratic organization.

Stacy Meyers-Glen, policy coordinator for the environmental coalition Openlands, argued the parkway would ruin valuable farms, hurt wetlands, destroy forests, harm wildlife and damage waterways.

"This would spur development in areas designated as agricultural," she said. "I'm concerned if the tollway assumes responsibility for the Prairie Parkway, it's a controversial project."

Tollway Chairman John Mitola asked staff planners to look at the issue and report back.

He said he supported job creation but added "we need to balance where the tollway spends money. We need to go where there's the greatest need."