Randall Road intersection improvements won't raze homes

The McHenry County Division of transportation has killed an option to widen Randall Road by razing 26 Lake in the Hills homes, something that leaves residents breathing a bit easier.

Transportation leaders on Wednesday also detailed improvement plans for five intersections that cross Randall Road and would affect motorists going through Algonquin and Lake in the Hills.

When it comes to widening Randall Road between County Line and Ackman roads, officials would carve out 1.41 acres from Ken Carpenter Park, which abuts Randall Road in Lake in the Hills, said Wally Dittrich, design manager for the department.

One of the original options included demolishing 26 homes on Patton Avenue, Miller Road and Clayton Marsh Drive. But residents in October panned that option and Village President Ed Plaza vowed to block it by withholding a piece of park property the county would have needed to make it happen.

"Good for the county to put the residents first," said Deborah Jenssen, a resident who helped mobilize neighbors. "I'm happy with the outcome. I can't wait for my neighbors to get home from work."

Now, intersection improvements could be in store for several crossings on Randall Road:

• Algonquin Road would turn into a continuous flow intersection, an admittedly confusing construction that would reduce the amount of time spent at a traffic signal when you're waiting for someone else to make a left turn, Dittrich said. People now sit for at least 80 seconds to turn at Algonquin and Randall roads. The new configuration could reduce that to 36 seconds.

"I'm excited about it, I really like it," transportation committee member Sandra Salgado said.

Algonquin Village President John Schmitt is, too.

"It has worked in other locations very effectively," he said. "You certainly can't say no to something unless you're sure it's going to work, or not work."

• Bunker Hill Drive/Huntington Drive, Miller Road and Acorn Lane/Polaris Drive, would all receive turning lanes.

• Stonegate Road would be converted to a right in/right out intersection.

The division of transportation will next bring the plans to the village boards for their feedback, then will bring them back to the committee before a public hearing in the spring. Approval would likely come in spring 2010, Dittrich said. The entire project, expected to cost roughly $80 million, has not yet been funded.

The goal is to present the federal government with a plan everyone is on board with to improve chances of it being funded, Dittrich said.

More information on the project is available at www.randallroad.info.