Palatine Road expansion project on track

A yearlong expansion project due to get underway next spring is expected to alleviate one of Palatine's most congested areas.

The $11.6 million venture - $9.5 million of which is federally funded, some of it with economic stimulus money - will expand a three-quarter mile strip of Palatine Road between Smith Street and Northwest Highway. It will also widen Plum Grove Road near the Palatine Road intersection.

"Currently the (Palatine and Plum Grove roads) intersection is operating at a level of service below standards with excessive delays," Assistant Village Engineer Matt Barry said.

In addition, the intersection of Palatine Road, which is a state highway, and North Hale Street will permanently close because it's located at a railroad crossing and considered a safety hazard, Barry said. The two railroad crossings affected by the project will also get enhanced warning equipment and barriers put in place so that motorists can't drive around lowered gates.

Some of the construction will involve adding a center directional left turn lane to the current two-lane setup. What's now a three-lane cross-section on Palatine at the Plum Grove intersection will be widened to five lanes.

During construction, two-way traffic between Smith and Plum Grove will be maintained. However, the project will reduce traffic to eastbound only from Plum Grove to Northwest Highway.

To keep residents informed, the village in early 2010 will host an open house detailing the construction. Project leaders will launch the Web site palatineroad.com and engineers will visit every residence and business along the project corridor to pass out an informational brochure and provide an overview.

The Northwest Municipal Conference approved the use of nearly $5.2 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds and $2.8 million in Surface Transportation Projects-Urban money. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning has also committed about $1.5 million from its Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program.

All but the village's $2.2 million commitment is federally funded, and Barry said the money has been allocated and secured. Last week, the Palatine village council approved a local agency agreement in order to process the future disbursement of those funds.