An intergovernmental agreement is paving the way for a long-awaited transportation project that will provide access to and from the east at Route 47 and I-88 in Sugar Grove as soon as next fall.
The Sugar Grove Village Board on Nov. 20 authorized the agreement with the Illinois Tollway Authority, IDOT and Kane County, which must approve it before the project can proceed.
Good news for all four entities was that construction bids recently came in lower than expected, so the project cost will be significantly lower than the original estimate of $25 million, village officials announced at the board meeting.
“Due to timing, we (the village, IDOT, the tollway authority and the county) were able to save $5 million on the project – $250,000 for the village,” Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels said.
The board approved village funding for up to $1.25 million of the interchange project cost.
Michels said construction will begin in April and new ramps will be open in November 2019.
The interchange project also will rehabilitate the bridge over the tollway in Sugar Grove and realign the existing ramps constructed in the early 1970s, which only provide for travel to and from the west at Route 47.
The interchange improvements are expected to be a boon for the local economy and a huge benefit for drivers who currently must use interchanges in Aurora, on Orchard Road, Route 31 and Eola Road to access I-88.
Of the total cost of the project, the tollway will provide 60 percent and IDOT will contribute up to 25 percent, with the county paying 10 percent and Sugar Grove covering 5 percent.
Sugar Grove village officials are working with a local property developer to fund 50 percent of the village’s share and plan to fund the remaining half through the municipal roadway maintenance fee.
The village has funded the cost of preliminary design and engineering studies for the interchange improvements, as required by the tollway authority.