The time is now for O'Hare access

A convergence of events has put the issue of the western access to O'Hare International Airport back at the top of a to-do list.

The April 2009 defeat of Bensenville's John Geils started it. Then Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson called off the lawsuits.

Advocates lined up support in DuPage and Cook counties and settled on one route that seems to be embraced by all affected. They say landowners affected have been contacted. They vow it will not affect any existing homes. If any issues arise, they promise they would be handled with sensitivity and professionalism.

By all accounts, the stars have finally aligned.

Well, there is the sticky issue of funding. Where could Illinois find $3.6 billion for a new road?

Luckily, the Illinois State Tollway Authority has new leadership that seems eager to prove itself competent and incorruptible.

Supporters are lobbying for the tollway to take over the Elgin-O'Hare extension and western bypass project. They say it's the only realistic source of funding, particularly in light of the state's financial problems. Illinois Department of Transportation is still spending the $140 million in federal grants to start the work. But that will only take it up to the construction phase.

The project has many potential benefits. Advocates, led by DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, say it will cut travel time, ease congestion, create 44,000 jobs and pump $10 billion into the regional economy by 2030.

It would bring new bike trails, pedestrian crossings and 71 miles of improvements to roads.

It also promises new options for public transit, which would help out-of-town travelers reach business meeting and convention destinations in DuPage County and the Northwest suburbs.

We have long supported the projects and continue to see these improvements as vital for the suburbs, which bear much of the burden of O'Hare - the noise, congestion, pollution. Western access and the bypass will help cut some of that cost while providing an economic boost.

The question today is whether this is the time and whether the tollway is the agency we trust.

We believe this is the time. One-time foes have signed on. O'Hare modernization and expansion is moving forward. Capital projects like this one provide jobs and encourage economic growth.

We struggle with the question of whether to entrust this key project to the tollway. Led by new Executive Director Kristi Lafleur, four new board members and a turnover in some senior staff, the agency is trying to shake the taint left by years of scandal and corruption.

A high-profile project like this would be under constant scrutiny by all the communities affected. This makes it both a test of the new leadership and a way to ensure accountability.

These projects have been debated for years. We encourage Gov. Pat Quinn and other state leaders to seize this moment. Don't let it pass.