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County commissioner 'tired of talk' about Quentin Road upgrade in Palatine

Cook County Board Commissioner Scott Britton says funding won't be an obstacle to fixing Quentin Road on Palatine's far north end - long compared to a moonscape - but differences have emerged on how best to do the proposed project.

"I can guarantee you, something's going to happen, because that road is not acceptable as it currently is," said Britton, whose district includes the section of Quentin between Lake-Cook and Dundee roads. "It's a mess, it's dangerous, not functional, and it is an embarrassment to a county that takes some bit of pride in its infrastructure."

At an informal meeting last week with residents from the Quentin Road area and Palatine officials, Britton said one thing everyone agrees on is that a renovation for the mostly two-lane stretch is needed. He wants the work to begin in 2021.

But there is a divide about which of two final options would be the best solution for upgrading the 1-mile stretch known for cracked pavement and holes that combine for a bumpy ride.

Palatine officials, some residents from nearby subdivisions and others are calling for the county to rebuild Quentin with two lanes in each direction between Dundee and Lake-Cook. There also would be a center turn lane for much of the one mile of road slicing through Cook County's Deer Grove Forest Preserve, for a total of five lanes.

"Every day that goes by, we put people's lives in jeopardy from the road," Palatine Village Manager Reid Ottesen said. "You cannot get fire trucks through there in a timely manner."

On the other side is a 10-year-old group called Build Quentin Right, which also includes Palatine residents from the subdivisions near the road and has support from organizations such as the Chicago Audubon Society, Active Transportation Alliance and the Deer Grove Natural Areas Volunteers.

Representing Build Quentin Right, Jurgen Reinold said the county should go with two renovated lanes for north- and southbound drivers, plus a full-width third lane in the middle for left turns, emergency vehicles and other purposes.

Concerns have been expressed by Build Quentin Right about potentially negative environmental effects on Deer Grove from widening the road to five lanes. Reinold said safety would not be compromised with fewer lanes.

"Both alternatives will support the (higher) traffic volumes projected for 2040, but, obviously, road-builders have a preference for wider roads while many other stakeholders lean toward narrower roads with less impact on the environment and the people that live along the road," Reinold said.

About $505,100 has been set aside in Cook County's 2020 capital budget for the Quentin Road project's design, planning and preliminary engineering. If the work begins as expected in 2021, federal funding, motor fuel tax revenue and other sources tentatively are projected to provide $40 million.

Regardless of the number of lanes, the plan calls for Quentin's reconstruction to have drainage improvements, a new Baldwin Creek bridge and a multiuse path connecting to Deer Grove. The roughly 100-year-old bridge, near the Deer Grove West entrance, received repairs last year, including new structural steel beams.

Britton said that while he'll have great sway over the final shape of the Quentin Road plan, he plans to collect more feedback before a decision is made. He said a public meeting on the two options likely will occur early next year at Palatine village hall.

"I'm tired of talk," Britton said. "Let's try to get this thing accomplished in a way that at least everybody knows they had a say in it and get something going."

Quentin receives about 20,000 vehicle trips daily between Dundee and Lake-Cook, according to the latest Illinois Department of Transportation statistics.

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  Cook County Board Commissioner Scott Britton says he hopes a renovation project for Quentin Road on Palatine's far north end - long compared to a moonscape - starts in 2021. Cracks and holes combine for a bumpy ride. Bob Susnjara/bsusnjara@dailyherald.com, 2018
Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton
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