Huntley prepares to move ahead with major Kreutzer Road project amid stalemate

After a delay caused by a stalemate between the Union Pacific Railroad and the Illinois Department of Transportation, Huntley plans to move ahead with a major Kreutzer Road widening and realignment this year.

Huntley Village Manager Dave Johnson said the village has been working toward the Kreutzer Road project for the better part of the past decade.

“We’ve done everything we can to make this project shovel-ready,” he said.

Johnson said the village has all the property needed, has done engineering work and has spent millions of dollars to get the project ready. But a stalemate between the railroad and IDOT over property rights to cross railroad tracks has held up the project.

“We are working diligently to facilitate this project, but, unfortunately, we’re getting caught up, as many road projects are, in this ongoing disagreement,” Johnson said.

The project carries a $16.7 million price tag, but local officials have secured grants and negotiated development agreements to get funding for the project. Johnson said the village has received more than $13 million in outside funding for the project.

The work involves widening Kreutzer Road to three lanes, one lane in each direction and a center left-turn lane. The road will also be realigned at the crossing with the Union Pacific Railroad. The railroad tracks are where a Chicago-to-Rockford rail line has been proposed.

A stop on that line was suggested for Huntley, but local officials decided last fall to decline.

Kreutzer Road at those railroad tracks has also been identified in the village’s comprehensive plan as a potential site for a train station.

The railroad crossing in question is near land where the Huntley Park District is planning to build a park after it acquired the land from the village last year.

Officials have said that the Kreutzer Road project is, from a financial standpoint, the largest public improvement project Huntley has ever taken on.

IDOT was not immediately available for comment on the Kreutzer Road update.

A UP raid spokesperson said the rail company “appreciates the village of Huntley and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s efforts and partnership in advancing this project. We’re pleased to see it move forward.”