Proposed 143rd Street Improvements - Lemont Road (State Street) to Bell Road - a continuous four lane roadway section with a mountable median, curb and gutter, and storm sewers to be constructed to match the adjacent sections of 143rd Street at Lemont Road (westernmost limits, completed in 2014) and at Bell Road.
The Will County Division of Transportation owns and maintains both 143rd Street and Bell Road through the Village of Homer Glen. Because both roadways are under the jurisdiction of the county, the Village of Homer Glen does not have any rights to or responsibility for the current and proposed expansions of 143rd and Bell Road. We are monitoring both projects and the updates for 143rd Street are as follows:
The proposed five lane expansion of 143rd Street between Lemont Road and Bell Road in the Village of Homer Glen is a project that has been planned for many years. Studies on this road were first done in 1991, with preliminary engineering beginning in 2009. The final segment of the project has been ongoing for the past 12 years. The county has already invested 6.2 million dollars in the traffic study, research, development, and engineering of the plan and have $7 million in grant funding allocated to the widening project.
143rd Street, designated as a minor arterial by the Illinois Department of Transportation, has experienced an increase in traffic over the years, according to the county—from a count of 5,637 in 1990 to the latest IDOT count of 15,500 with projections of 22,000 for 2040.
The project is now pending due to a lawsuit filed by members of the Will County Board. Plaintiffs in this lawsuit are ten Will County Board members, acting in their full capacity as Board members, as stated in the lawsuit. This is the only lawsuit on file.
This lawsuit alleges that County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant wrongly vetoed Resolution 24-27 which would have directed the Will County Division of Transportation to cease the current planned expansion. The resolution also directed the Will County Division of Transportation to instead develop plans for a three lane expansion of 143rd with the third lane being a turning lane. The decision of curbs or open ditches were not discussed at this time. The Village attorneys have consulted with the attorneys for the plaintiffs (the county board) and are monitoring the case. The next scheduled court date regarding this case is September 12.
The Village of Homer Glen is actively evaluating and planning its next steps as the case progresses. The Village Board unanimously believes that this expansion is unnecessary and has contested the county’s traffic count and justification for the expansion. The Village remains hopeful for a discussion on alternative options to the expansion once the current litigation is resolved.
Additionally, the Village is watching what happens with Senate Bill 3408 which would provide for a quick take of certain property along 143rd by Will County. Letters of opposition from the Village have been sent to our local senators and representatives along with those senators involved with the bill.