Federal infrastructure legislation includes multiple projects in McHenry County plus DeKalb, Geneva, Plainfield

An infrastructure bill making its way through Congress could bring, if passed, nearly $20 million in federal dollars to eight projects across McHenry, Kane, DeKalb and Kendall counties.

The eight projects – the largest of which is a $7 million request from Kane County to realign Bliss Road and Fabyan Parkway and create a new roundabout – were selected as “Member Designated Projects,” an initiative that allowed members of Congress to identify projects within their district for potential funding, and were requested by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, according to a news release.

The Geneva road project would see the ultimate realignment of Bliss Road and Fabyan Parkway to create a four-legged intersection with Main Street in Geneva, according to a news release from Underwood’s office. A roundabout would be created to address safety and capacity concerns, and crosswalks would be installed to allow access for future park development adjacent to the project.

Other projects included in the draft legislation include:

• $4 million to move forward the relocation and expansion of the Woodstock rail yard from Crystal Lake to rural northwest Woodstock by funding project engineering. The project is ultimately expected to double Woodstock’s current train service schedule and accrue other benefits for Metra and its passengers.
• $2.5 million to improve the 143rd Street corridor from Route 59 to Route 126 in Plainfield. The plan is to fill in the missing links along 143rd Street, which would increase the reliability and efficiency of Pace’s Bus Rapid Transit system along Interstate 55.
• $2.4 million for seven intersection improvements along Algonquin Road, including Huntley, Lake in the Hills and Algonquin, as well as for the intersection of Wilmot Road and Main Street in Spring Grove. These eight intersections have together averaged over 60 crashes per year and are the Illinois Department of Transportation’s list of the state’s most dangerous intersections.
• $1,205,500 to build a roundabout at the intersection of Wolfs Crossing and Douglas Road in Oswego along with the widening of Wolfs Crossing to two lanes in each direction and other improvements aimed at addressing crashes along the corridor and projected traffic demand.
• $1,200,000 to install a new roundabout at the existing three-way intersection at Route 20 and Reinking Road between Elgin and Pingree Grove to improve traffic flow, increase safety and improve pedestrian and bicyclist access.
• $600,000 to reconstruct Main Street Randall Road to Van Nortwick Avenue in Batavia, installing sidewalks on both sides of the street as well as an on-street bike path.
• $570,000 to upgrade traffic signals within the city of DeKalb that are operated with obsolete signal controllers that are no longer manufactured or supported;

The legislation – which is named the INVEST in America Act – is expected to be considered by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure this week, according to the release.