Why so many trees are being removed along Route 22 in Kildeer

Tree removal along Route 22 between Quentin Road and the Kemper Lakes office park in Kildeer has raised the curiosity of motorists but it’s only advance work for a long-planned project with no set schedule.

That stretch of Route 22 is part of a longer section between Quentin Road and Route 83, referred to as the gap, that at some point will be rebuilt and widened to four lanes.

It’s the last of nine segments along the nearly 20-mile stretch of Route 22 from Route 41 in Highland Park to Route 14 in Fox River Grove to be widened as part an Illinois Department of Transportation improvement program spanning several decades.

IDOT completed preliminary engineering and an environmental study for the Quentin Road to Route 83 stretch in 2014.

The project calls for an extra travel lane in each direction separated by a raised median with left-turn lanes at the intersections, traffic signal modernization, installation of new sidewalks, a multiuse path and drainage improvements.

However, it has languished and moved from the agency’s 2021-2026 proposed highway improvement program to the 2026-2031 program.

Large-scale tree removal in IDOT’s right of way began in December and prompted the village to update residents on what was described as the initial phase of the widening project.

Chief Village Officer Michael Talbett said upcoming work includes wetland filling, possibly this coming summer, and utility relocation before actual road widening. But other than a general outline a schedule for each part had not been made available, he added.

“This preliminary activity is being performed ahead of future phases to address safety, environmental timing restrictions and utility coordination,” said IDOT spokesperson Maria Castaneda.

For example, because the Northern long-eared bat is classified as endangered, tree removal must take place during specific months. In Kildeer, that’s expected to be substantially completed in late March with minor work through the end of May, she said.

Castaneda added trees need to be removed before utilities can be relocated although there is no specific timeline for that element of the project.

“Removing trees in advance helps minimize later construction impacts and allows subsequent work to proceed more efficiently once the project advances,” Castaneda said.

Current efforts are targeted to enable a contract letting in the early years of the 2026-2031 program, although that will be contingent on plan readiness, land acquisition, agreements and funding availability, Castaneda said.

Residents living near Route 22 are alarmed to see so many trees removed and worry about a reduction of the buffer that separates them from the road and wonder about potential noise, Talbett said.

He said widening will ease morning and evening congestion on Route 22, although the trade-off will be longer delays during construction.

“Certainly, the realignment of the northern portion of South Krueger Road to meet up with the traffic light at Kemper Lakes Corporate Park will be a huge improvement,” he added.