Federal boost for Algonquin bypass
Long rush-hour traffic backups around downtown Algonquin aren't going away anytime soon, but there finally may be reason for optimism among drivers caught in the daily grind.
Federal authorities recently approved the first stage of studies examining the environmental impact of a proposed bypass around the west side of the village's downtown, a move that clears the way for local leaders to seek funding from the Illinois legislature.
"We're excited because this puts us in a position to advocate for inclusion in a (state) capital bill," state Rep. Mike Tryon, a Crystal Lake Republican, said Wednesday.
The bypass, which has been on McHenry County's drawing board for more than a decade, would take Route 31 traffic west around Algonquin's downtown, cutting traffic in the heart of the village and allowing longer green lights for vehicles traveling east and west on Algonquin Road.
When first proposed in the late 1990s, the plan had a price tag of about $40 million. With rising labor and material costs, current estimates place that figure at closer to $70 million. The federal government has pledged $9 million for the project, but the rest must come from state and county resources.
The recent approval by federal officials means engineers can move forward with specific design plans for the bypass, including how to address any concerns raised during the environmental impact study.
Perhaps more importantly, it allows Tryon and other area legislators to argue that the project is moving closer to reality and should be included in the state's next capital projects bill.
"The state won't include anything in a capital bill unless it's going to be ready within the next three years," Tryon said. "Until the federal authorities took this step, we couldn't make the case that this project would be ready to go in three years."
Although there is no clear timeline for when the legislature might pass a capital bill, Tryon said it likely would not occur before November.
Bill Dwyer, chairman of the McHenry County Better Roads Coalition, was cautiously optimistic about the news Wednesday.
"It's nice to see, but we still have to get the money to build it," Dwyer said.