Longmeadow Parkway opens to traffic

It took more than 30 years, but the Longmeadow Parkway project is finally complete and the northern Kane County Fox River bridge opened to traffic Thursday afternoon.

The long-awaited opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting featuring Gov. JB Pritzker and a list of county and state officials who have, through the last three decades, had a hand in bringing the bridge to fruition.

Pritzker noted Rebuild Illinois has helped bring long-overdue projects to completion, adding that the state has been able to build or improve nearly 7,000 miles of roadway and 700 bridges. The state contributed $30 million to the project, helping eliminate a planned toll bridge to cover some construction costs.

“All across Illinois, projects like this one are helping to revitalize our communities, unleash our economic potential and make life better for our residents,” Pritzker said.

The 5.6-mile stretch of roadway, which spans from Huntley/Boyer Road to the west and Route 62 to the east, stretches through portions of Algonquin, Carpentersville, Barrington Hills and unincorporated Kane County.

The $205 million project gives motorists and cyclists in northern Kane County another way to get across the Fox River and ease congestion on nearby bridges on Route 62 in Algonquin, Route 72 in East and West Dundee and Main Street in Carpentersville.

“Make no mistake, this is an investment,” state Rep. Suzanne Ness said. “It’s an investment in our future, in our communities and for all of you.”

Ness and Kane County Board Chairwoman Corinne Pierog were instrumental in securing the $30 million in state funding to help close the funding gap and eliminate a planned toll for the roadway.

Kane County paid for most of the project costs, contributing roughly $130 million. McHenry County, which also benefits from the project, contributed $1 million. The remainder of the project costs were covered by state and federal agencies.

Talk of a Fox River crossing between Carpentersville and Algonquin dates back nearly 50 years when it was first mentioned in Algonquin’s comprehensive plan, said Carl Schoedel, Kane County’s division of transportation director. Through the years, the project suffered a series of setbacks, including funding and a dispute over habitat for the endangered rusty patched bumblebee.

“This has been a monumental achievement for the staff of the division of transportation,” said Schoedel, who has worked on the project since the 1990s.

He said the “complex project” was at times a source of “deep disappointment (and) frustration.” He even joked that the county’s transportation staff came up with a phrase, “We’ve been longmeadowed,” to describe instances when things didn’t go as planned on a project.

“Looking back, I will say that overcoming all of these hurdles makes today’s celebration even more special,” he said. “Together, we persevered and made the impossible happen.”

In addition to easing traffic congestion, the roadway is expected to draw new development. Earlier this year, Carpentersville annexed about 150 acres off Huntley Road near the western edge of the corridor and already has had developers express interest in the property, Village President John Skillman said.

Algonquin Village President Debby Sosine said Longmeadow Parkway is the reason NorthPoint Development is investing $152 million in five buildings at a corporate business park. Sosine said the development will create more than $25 million in wages from 1,000 jobs directly or indirectly related to the project.

“We have created an incredible pathway to additional economic growth for the entire northeast Kane and southeast McHenry counties,” she said.