Board keeps Winfield pedestrian underpass plan alive

Winfield trustees narrowly passed a measure Thursday that ensures plans to build a long-stalled pedestrian underpass at its Metra train depot stay alive.

But Village Manager William Barlow again warned the village board that unless trustees act quickly, the costs of the project will continue to rise, along with the chances of losing promised state and federal grants meant to pay for the train crossing.

"Time is not an ally when it comes to the cost of this project," Barlow said.

Village officials have placed the cost of the underpass, which has generated a series of sometimes passionate opinions from both supporters and detractors, at about $4 million.

The true cost won't be known until the village approves the project and begins soliciting for construction bids. That isn't likely to happen until at least November or later, Barlow said.

Union Pacific has already told the village it intends to close an above-grade crosswalk at the Metra station, located just steps away from the rear of the village hall and police station at 27W465 Jewell Road.

The railroad company threatened to close the crossing by March when village trustees tried to stall the project earlier in the year.

Several residents, teachers and school officials from Winfield Elementary District 34 have urged trustees to pursue the plan, arguing the crosswalk would provide a safe route for children crossing the train tracks daily to go to school at Winfield Primary and Central schools, as well as the elementary school run by St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.