Could an Algonquin Road bridge improve traffic flow in Des Plaines?
An overpass that could reduce train-related delays for motorists in central Des Plaines could be built within the next six years, a consultant for the city revealed this week.
The cost of the proposed Algonquin Road bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks hasn't been determined yet, however - nor does the project have the blessing of landowners that would be affected by the project.
David Block, a senior partner with Chicago-based TranSystems, updated the city council on the progress of his firm's engineering study Monday night.
Des Plaines officials began studying how to reduce traffic delays and improve emergency response times in that part of the city in 2008.
Multiple railroads run through Des Plaines. Algonquin Road is among 31 streets in the city that cross train tracks at ground level.
Mayor Andrew Goczkowski called train-related traffic jams "one of the most pressing issues that we've had since the city's inception."
"The volume of traffic that's impeded by these trains is enormous," he said.
TranSystems chose to study Algonquin Road and the Union Pacific tracks for a bridge or underpass based on the potential improvement of emergency response times and the likely impact on nearby homes and businesses, Block said.
"It has the least amount of impacts for the congestion reduction," he said.
TranSystems envisions building the bridge between Mount Prospect Road and Wolf Road. Lanes of Algonquin Road would be shut down during construction, so detour routes would be needed, Block said.
A bridge is preferable to an underpass to avoid flooding.
No residential neighborhoods would be directly affected by the construction or the bridge, Goczkowski noted.
Consultants have met with interested residents, representatives from area businesses to discuss options, Block said.
They also met with Des Plaines Park District officials, who operate the Mountain View Adventure Center at 510 E. Algonquin Road. Prairie Lakes Park and Westfield Park adjoin that facility.
If the project progresses, construction crews will temporarily need some park district land there during construction, Block said.
Park District Executive Director Don Miletic and park board members attended Monday's presentation. Noting that Mountain View is a revenue-generating facility offering miniature golf, batting cages and other amenities, Miletic said the construction will change the dynamics of the park in a "tremendous" way.
Miletic said he is concerned about the look of the project - particularly retaining walls that would be built near Mountain View's southern property line - as well as drivers using the Mountain View parking lot as a cut-through.
Both he and park board President Erin Doerr suggested finding a different location for a bridge or underpass.
"I think there are other alternatives," Doerr told the council. "I just have a hard time accepting that this is it."
The proposed bridge will be among the issues discussed when park district officials hold a community meeting at 6 p.m. March 30, at the Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St.
As for the project's next steps, Block said designs could be ready for City Council approval by October 2024. Time-consuming planning with the Illinois Department of Transportation would follow, as would negotiations with nearby property owners for temporary land acquisition.
A public hearing on the plan likely will be held next year, said Tim Oakley, the city's public works and engineering director.
If approved, construction could start in spring 2028 and wrap up in late 2029.
City officials hope to be responsible for no more than 20% of the project's eventual cost, with state and federal agencies covering the balance.