29 Update: The Illinois Route 29 Design Study

              update
Division of Highways/District 4
401 Main Street / Peoria, Illinois / 61602
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ENCLOSED ISSUE NO. 2 update ISSUE NO. 2 update
This is the second issue of
a newsletter prepared
by the Illinois Department of Transporta-tion
(IDOT) and CH2M HILL to provide
information regarding the IL 29 Design
Study.
In This Issue:
Alternatives to be Presented at Upcoming
Public Meetings
Map of Alternatives
Review of Alternatives by Project Section
Opportunities for Public Participation
Meeting Dates and Locations
For More Information, Contact:
Eric Therkildsen, P.E.
Program Development Engineer
IDOT District 4
401 Main Street
Peoria, IL 61602
(309) 671-3333
Published By:
and
Hutchison Engineering, Inc.
Lin Engineering, LTD
Alfred Benesch & Company
Martinez Corporation
update,
Mark Your Calendar
The Illinois Route 29 Design Study
Public Information
Meetings
July 14, 2004
Henry-Senachwine High School
1023 College Street
Henry, Illinois
July 15, 2004
Three Sisters Park - The Pavilion
17201 North State Route 29
Chillicothe, Illinois
The meeting format is open house.
Please stop in any time between
4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Alternatives to be Presented at July Public Meetings
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is continuing their study of alternatives to improve
continuity and address efficiency concerns in the Illinois Route 29 (IL 29) corridor between IL 6
near Mossville in Peoria County and I-180 in Bureau County. The second set of public information
meetings are scheduled to be held on July 14, 2004 in Henry and July 15, 2004 in Chillicothe to
inform community members on project progress. (See the back page of this newsletter for locations
and times.)
The first set of public information meetings were held in mid-June 2003. At that time, IDOT informed
project-area residents about the purpose of the IL 29 study, presented the preliminary IL 29 corridor
alignments, and received input from attendees on transportation issues and the preliminary
alignments. IDOT received a wide range of public comments at the two meetings. Listed below are
the common themes the public provided at the meetings.
• Concerns about residential, agricultural and other environmental impacts associated with the
Henry bypass and the bluff alignment west of Sparland.
• Concerns about the visibility of communities and the impacts on local businesses along IL 29 if
a bypass were constructed.
• Questions about the need for improvements to IL 29.
• A desire to improve existing roadways before building new facilities.
• Support for improving IL 29 because it would have fewer agricultural impacts than the bluff
alignment.
• Support for the bluff alignment because it would reduce impacts to residences and businesses
along existing IL 29.
Based on the comments from the June 2003 information meetings, agency input and additional
engineering and environmental work, the project team continued to refine the preliminary
alternatives in the project’s South, Central, and North Sections. The alternatives that remain under
consideration and the alternatives eliminated from consideration since the June 2003 public
information meetings are shown on page 3. A brief description of changes to the alternatives in the
South, Central, and North Sections is found on the following page.
The project team has also begun detailed engineering studies on the alternatives in the North
and Central sections. The detailed studies for the South Section are forthcoming. These studies
will provide IDOT, agencies, and project-area property owners with information such as the limits
of new right-of-way required to construct the proposed IL 29 improvements, changes in access to
properties, where interchanges will be needed, and impacts to agricultural land, natural resources
such as wetlands and wooded areas, and residences and businesses. Although the preliminary
plans for the alignments may need some adjustments, they are useful in helping elicit further
comments and input from communities and property owners along IL 29.
Alternatives Update
South Section
At the first public information meeting Alternative S-4 crossed over the Cedar Hills Drive/Old Galena
Road intersection bisecting the two Mossville Caterpillar facilities before connecting with the
proposed Chillicothe bypass. That portion of Alternative S-4 has been eliminated from consideration.
Under the current plan, it now crosses Cedar Hills Drive just west of Caterpillar’s facilities and crosses
Old Galena Road north of the Tech Center. An interchange is proposed at Cedar Hills Drive. After
because of their impacts to wetlands, floodplain, and natural areas. The current version of
Alternative N-2 does not relocate the railroad and has a narrow median and a retaining wall
on the east side to minimize impacts to natural resources in the Miller-Anderson Woods area.
Like the Central Section, IL 29 in the North Section is designed as an expressway that can be
accessed at local roads and noncommercial driveways.
In the North Section, residential and business relocations are found in Henry and Putnam.
The North Section would cost approximately $120 to $130 million to construct. More
information about project impacts will be available at the July 14 and 15 meetings.
Other Project Update Information
The project team is developing a plan to locate wildlife crossings along the IL 29 corridor
to reduce the number of collisions between animals (particularly deer) and vehicles. The
plan could include lengthening bridges at stream crossings, which are wildlife movement
corridors, to allow deer and other animals to cross between the stream and the bridge
embankment. The project team is also investigating the use of large culverts at various
locations along the corridor with high vehicle-deer collisions to allow deer and other animals
to cross under the highway.
The Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) is continuing field work to evaluate upland and
wetland habitat along the project’s reasonable range of alternatives. They are also
conducting special studies on mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, plants, and
fish and mussels in the project area. The data gathered by the INHS will be used by IDOT
to make design decisions, and it will be reported in the project’s Environmental Impact
Statement.
Historical and archaeological studies are also in progress. To date about 1,300 acres have
been surveyed by archaeologists. Groundwater studies will be conducted this summer to
determine whether the proposed improvements to IL 29 in the Miller-Anderson Woods area
would affect groundwater and habitat dependent on existing groundwater levels.