The intersection at Randall and Algonquin roads has been identified as a traffic congestion point for more than a decade. (Photo courtesy of McHenry County Division of Transportation)

A project involving the widening of Randall Road, a major north-south commercial corridor through Algonquin and Lake In The Hills, was carved out for funding by the McHenry County Board during its Nov. 14 meeting. Part of an overall five-year transportation program, from 2018-22, that will cost an estimated $212 million, the corridor widening will receive $41.6 million in federal and county funds.

Bidding for the job order on the construction opens in the spring of 2018, with the actual groundwork to commence later that summer. The full board had previously approved $10.6 million to proceed with easement and land right-of-way purchases, as a precursor to the improvements, in 2014. The plan also encompassed a continuous flow intersection at Randall and Algonquin roads that was met with derision by local municipal officials.

The current expansion will involve additional turn lanes at the Algonquin and Randall roads intersection, widening to six lanes of traffic, from Harnish Drive northward to Polaris Drive. The corridor has suffered from increased traffic congestion and was identified for improvements, as far back as 2002.

Discussions for improvements have a long history with debate on cost factors and necessity, while going back and forth from the county’s Transportation Committee to the full board. Over $9 million was invested for various studies and engineering. A previous proposal for Algonquin Road had three left turn lanes for all four lights, which met criteria thresholds when submitted to the Chicago Metropolitan Area Planning (CMAP) agency.

“This will be six lanes south of Harnish Drive, going beyond the county line in the village,” said Algonquin Village President John Schmitt. “Randall Road is the economic corridor for our city, and McHenry County. The improvements will go north of the county line, from the Algonquin-Randall roads intersection to Acorn Avenue at Lake In The Hills.

“Randall Road and Route 47 take the place of an interstate highway in the county to promote commerce and commuters. Adding more turn lanes will help traffic flow, meaning you will not have to wait longer to get through, due to back-ups. The county has done very well with the design, and Phase I engineering for the project,” he said.

An overview map of the proposed widening plan for intersections along Randall Road. (Photo courtesy of McHenry County Division of Transportation)

The $41.6 million for capacity and operational changes to Randall Road, from Harnish Drive to Acorn Lane/Polaris Drive has its construction funded through the federal level at approximately $19.6 million, with $9 million coming from the Federal Surface Transportation Program, and $10.6 million from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, the latter overseen by the Federal Highway Administration. County coffers will provide funding for its portion in the amount of $21.1 million.

“The corridor is an economic anchor for the southeast corner of the county, due to the sales tax revenues that are generated by the businesses there, along with property taxes,” said Schmitt. “Ease of transportation and access are key items.”

Construction timetables are expected to follow a two-year completion target date. Facilitating the improvements of an additional lane of traffic in each direction, and the additional turn lanes at each of the intersections, will cause traffic patterns to change intermittently.

The 2018-2022 Transportation Program, according to the document, is “funded primarily by a sales tax, the McHenry County Regional Transportation Authority Sales Tax (RTA Sales Tax), and two motor fuel tax funds: the State Motor Fuel Tax allotted to the county (County MFT) and the County Option Motor Fuel Tax (County Option MFT). Two property tax levies, the County Bridge and County Matching, are also (being) used, as are reimbursements, state and federal grants, local municipal, township or developer contributions, bank account interest, and prior year fund balances.”

Major improvement points of the program, aside from the Randall Road construction are: $30.6 million for an interchange at Illinois Route 23 and Interstate 90 in rural Marengo ($6.4 million from the county), $27.9 million for county pavement preservation and resurfacing, $10.4 million for the provision of the MCRide (dial-a-ride) service to McHenry County residents, $10 million for the Non-Dedicated Subdivision Road Construction Program, and $6.7 million for an Ackman Road Safety Project.

—County Board passes transportation program; allocates Randall Road funds–