Roadwork great, but what about Villa St.?

After two years of road construction, reduced lanes, time consumption to get through the mess, the project at Route 20 and Shales Parkway has come to completion. The improvements are fantastic. Extra turn lanes for traffic to go north on Shales Parkway whether you are eastbound or westbound on Grant's Highway into or out of Elgin. But did IDOT make an honest mistake, a blunder or serious goof?

Cars headed south on Shales Parkway have a new lane of their own to go west on Route 20 without having to make a stop at the traffic light. It is a nifty little "out of the gate" chute that merges with westbound Route 20 traffic, but that comes with a sacrifice - the inability to get onto Villa Street to head into Elgin's east side - normally the route to the casino from the east.

Those Shales Parkway drivers would have to use the Route 25 exit or Route 31 exit to head to downtown Elgin. If they needed to get to any location along Villa Street, those cars would have to detour through the Summer Hill development using Maroon Drive, going past Elgin High School and work their way south toward Villa Street.

IDOT has at least placed flashing notification signs that there is no entrance onto Villa Street any longer, a concrete median barrier eliminates the opportunity for anyone to cross over. Just the same, let's celebrate the progress on the new improvements. Villa Street motorists will have to figure out a route that doubles back.

Gary A Lichthardt

Elgin