Route 20 project delayed in Elgin
Construction of the new interchange at Route 20 and McLean Boulevard in Elgin will not wrap up this fall as anticipated, but instead continue into the early part of next year, Mayor David Kaptain said.
The city was told the only way for the project to end this year was to restrict McLean Boulevard to one lane in each direction for about two months, but that was unacceptable, Kaptain said.
"This would be a traffic disaster," Kaptain said at the city council meeting Wednesday. "Traffic would be backed up all the way to Larkin High School, and all the way probably to Wing Street, every night. So we told them we can't do that."
The $50 million project is run by the Illinois Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over Route 20. The contractor is Plote Construction of Hoffman Estates.
Kaptain said the delay is anticipated to "probably" last through March. "I am disappointed in IDOT and Plote for not being able to communicate between themselves," he said.
Plote officials declined to comment Thursday.
IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell said there have been delays related to coordinating the relocation of utility lines. Also, the condition of the ground required more fill than anticipated for the new bridge foundations, he said.
"Next week, southbound traffic is scheduled to be switched to new lanes so the middle part of McLean Boulevard can be reconstructed," he said. "When the middle is complete, the northbound lanes will be reconstructed, which will probably happen next spring."
That's bad news for local businesses, which have already suffered plenty after construction started in spring 2014, said Pete Koupas, manager of Elgin Fresh Market, 306 S. McLean Blvd. "It's a shame," he said.
Sales are down about 5 percent, though it's impossible to say if it's all because of the construction, Koupas said. Payroll costs have also been affected, such as when deliveries take longer than anticipated and employees have to wait around, he said.
Delfino Bello, owner of El Faro restaurant, 1315 Lillian St., said business has been down by 20 or 30 percent because customers avoid the area because of the heavy traffic and reduced number of parking spaces. "I think they should give us more parking, because they have really hurt us," he said.
About a month ago, Kaptain and state Rep. Anna Moeller, a Democrat from Elgin, hosted a meeting to give an update about the construction project to local business owners. Kaptain said he also suggested the business owners could band together to create a business district, akin to a homeowners' association, to figure out ways to help each other. "The city can help but we need them to take the initiative," he said.
Assistant City Manager Rick Kozal explained that would allow businesses to apply, for example, for Riverboat funds the city disburses through the neighborhood improvement grant program. The informal business district proposed by Kaptain is not to be confused with the type of business district, allowed under Illinois statute, that is an economic development tool for blighted areas that involves increasing sales taxes, Kozal pointed out.
Mike Deol, owner of D Hangout Bar and Grill, 550 S. McLean Blvd., said he attended the August meeting and believes banding together is a good idea, but not easy to accomplish. "Everybody is busy on their own, so it's hard to get everybody together."
Deol said business has been affected tremendously by the construction, which began about four months after he opened the bar in January 2014. "It's hard on us and everybody else," he said. "It drew away the clients that we had in the beginning."