Highland roadwork may wrap up Sept. 17

Elgin motorists weary of downtown construction along Highland Avenue might see a light at the end of the tunnel by week's end.

And no, it's not an oncoming train.

David Lawry, the city's public services director, said construction crews should be ready by Friday, Sept. 17 to open the Highland Avenue and State Street intersection, which has been closed for months in the street reconstruction and water main replacement project.

Currently motorists headed west on Highland from downtown cannot cross State Street or turn right or left onto State. Instead, they are looped back to Chicago Street, which is a one-way headed east.

Lawry said the Illinois Department of Transportation must make a visit to Elgin to ensure all the traffic signals are working at that intersection, which involves a state route.

The lanes on the south side of Highland are open to motorists and work is proceeding on the lanes on the north side.

Wait until next year: The city of Elgin, once on the verge of installing red light cameras at several key city intersections, likely won't reconsider the topic until spring 2011.

City Manager Sean Stegall doesn't expect the General Assembly to review the cameras during the state's fall session, meaning the earliest lawmakers could impose new guidelines is in the spring.

"We'll know one way or the other and then we can make our plans accordingly," he said. "They've become very unpopular very quickly."

In early 2008, the city worked with a red-light camera firm to study several intersections around town. Three were suggested, but had a host of logistical problems because they were near train crossings, which disrupted the camera signals.

The city studied three cross streets along Randall Road - Bowes, Hopps and Big Timber roads.

However, none of them had enough red light violations to make it profitable for cameras to be installed.

We were born to run: Time to train and register for South Elgin's Harvest Hustle 7K Run is ... running out.

The 7K run and 2-mile Fun Walk will be held on Oct. 2, but the deadline to register on signmeup.com is Sept. 27.

Participants also may register at Village Hall, 10 N. Water St., South Elgin, or fax a registration form available on southelgin.com to (847) 622-0462.

The run begins at 8 a.m. at village hall, with the walk stepping off at 8:15 a.m.

I've never run an actual race, but I believe a 7k run instead of your typical 5K run makes this a unique event, along with kicking off near the beautiful Fox River.