Traffic negotiates the Johnsburg roundabout. Several blocks away, improvements on Church Street that are slated to begin in mid-May, and the design-style and appearance of the upgrades will be consistent with the roundabout.

Johnsburg’s street improvement projects envisioned for more than two decades are set to begin in mid-May with a full reconstruction of the streetscape design encompassing the area around the community club and St. John’s Catholic Church.

Road improvements will start at Hillcrest Place, and continue east, near the intersection of Johnsburg Road. Sidewalks, walkway lighting, and other enhancements for pedestrian traffic will be installed along Church Street and St. Johns Avenue.

The improvements will have a content that remains consistent with the style of the roundabout project, which was installed in 2014. The circular traffic pattern was the first construction of its type in McHenry County, and alleviated vehicle congestion at the odd-corners of St. john’s Avenue, Chapel Hill and Wilmot-Johnsburg roads. The designs with inlaid brick, landscape garden edging and wide walkways.

“We are excited to announce construction will begin soon on Church Street and St. Johns Avenue, and it’s a project more than 20 years in the making,” said Village President Ed Hettermann. “Thanks to the efforts of Village Administrator Claudett Peters and Village Engineer Tim Hartnett, this project is being partially funded with $2.5 million in grants.”

The Illinois Department of Transportation conducted the job order bidding process, which was awarded to the Crystal-Lake-based firm of Curran Contracting, Inc. at $2.79 million. Remaining funding will come from county and municipal sources. Additional modifications will include infrastructure improvements with new sanitary service lines in portions of the project site that will coincide with the street work.

Public information meetings will be convened for residents in the project area, as a precursor to actual construction with design displays and timelines for residential and traffic impact within the neighborhood. Construction is starting around May 15, and will continue until a soft completion date in mid-October, due to weather considerations. The roadway east of St. Johns Avenue will be resurfaced.

The street upgrades were formally approved during the board’s Aug. 5, 2014 meeting on a unanimous vote on a resolution to approve a matching grant for the Church Street improvement project through the McHenry County Council of Mayors Surface Transportation Program. The Downtown Master Plan, compiled in July 2016, outlined a pedestrian-friendly environment with well-designed streets and streetscape improvements where pedestrians are

effectively separated from moving traffic, as well as accessibility compliance with the American Disabilities Act.