Meacham Road interchange enters design phase

Schaumburg officials have been lobbying since 1983 for an I-90 interchange at Meacham Road, and on Monday they finally reached the design phase for the project.

Thanks to a federal grant, the village board on Tuesday approved retaining an engineering firm, Civiltech, for $61,242 to design the plans for entrances and exits for the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The project has been submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation. June Johnson, the village's director of transportation, said there's still some waiting. The project has progressed from the village to the state and now remains in the hands of federal authorities.

The village has struggled through the years convincing the state that the project was feasible. Through the final design it will be determined if it's a full or partial interchange. Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson has long been an advocate of an entrance and exit off Meacham.

A new interchange at Meacham would make travel easier for shoppers at Woodfield Shopping Center and IKEA, as well as for employees at Motorola Corp. Johnson said the project is tied into plans for a new interchange at I-90 and Rt. 53, which she said is in dire need of an update. Advocates also say the increased exits would decrease traffic and wear on local roads. Johnson said I-90/Rt. 53 project trumps any others in the area, and the village's action on Tuesday places them in a better position to reap any benefits when that project goes forward.

The interchange also depends on the progress of the long-talked about STAR line from Metra. The Meacham project is separate from others, including a long-planned interchange at I-90 and Barrington Road in Hoffman Estates. The plan is further along and has already progressed through the design phase, Johnson notes.

The money for engineering is coming as part of a $306,250 Transportation, Commuter System and Preservation grant secured by Congresswoman Melissa Bean of Barrington, Johnson said.