Public still divided over Longmeadow bridge

A proposed crossing over the Fox River in northern Kane County received a lukewarm reception from residents at an open house for the Longmeadow Parkway Corridor.

Attendees at the public forum Thursday, hosted by Kane County at Randall Oaks Golf Course, argued responsibility should fall on rapidly developing McHenry County.

Some also said a bridge in the proposed location would create problems such as air and noise pollution, harming residents and property values.

Others, though, said another Fox River bridge is long overdue.

"A bridge is needed across the Fox River, but it should be supplied by McHenry County because they are the people who are causing the congestion in the area," West Dundee resident Barbara Bertram said.

The Longmeadow Parkway Toll Bridge would introduce a 5.6-mile, two-lane highway connecting Huntley Road in Carpentersville and Route 62 on the east side of Algonquin, easing the traffic burden off the Jane Addams Tollway, Route 72 and Route 62.

Projections estimate about 9,000 vehicles will travel across the bridge daily.

Tolls of $1.50 during peak hours and $1 in off-peak hours are being considered to fund the $117 million project. The project received $4 million in the 2005 federal transportation bill for land acquisition and engineering, but other funding sources are needed to complete construction.

Carpentersville resident Don Keller, said the roadway would drive property values downward and could cause potential health problems for nearby residents.

"The whole area within a quarter-mile would lose value," Keller said. "There will be gravel dust, toxic fumes and pollution from traffic - people will be moving out."

But Bruno Foerster, a 35-year resident of West Dundee whose house sits about 200 feet from the proposed road, said he supports the bridge. "The bridge is needed. If you go to Algonquin, the bridge over (Route) 62 is backed up," Foerster said. "The same thing happens in Carpentersville. I am glad it is going through."