Corporate merger complicates Route 53 intersection project

Contracts for a Route 53 intersection project have been held up by 7 Eleven’s acquisition of Speedway gas stations.

The prospects of a traffic light and other improvements at Emerald Drive have been pending since a Speedway fuel center was proposed for the corner in 2016.

Public Works Director Greg Ruddy in February said the project looked ready to go.

Ruddy said Tuesday that he still expects the project to be completed this year. But the city first must clear up matters related to Speedway’s financial contribution to the improvements in light of the acquisition, which was completed in May 2021.

The project is being funded by a combination of contributions from Speedway, the state of Illinois, and Ryan Companies, which owns the Laraway Crossings Business Park at the site.

“It’s a legal issue,” Ruddy said. “We just need to get the agreement updated to say that 7 Eleven is going to pay for the (Speedway portion of) improvements.”

Engineering and construction contracts to start the intersection project have been tabled by the City Council twice since March 15.

Ruddy said ComEd utility work on the site is scheduled to start in June, and construction was to follow that. So, there is still time to get on schedule once the Speedway-7 Eleven matter is settled.

“I don’t foresee it impinging on the schedule yet,” he said.

The Speedway station is to be built on the northwest corner of Rt. 53 and Emerald.

The intersection, now controlled only by a stop sign on Emerald, gets busy with changes of shifts at Amazon, Ikea and other businesses in Laraway Crossings.

The improvements include traffic lights and turn lanes.

City Council votes have been pending since March 15 on a $2.3 construction contract with P.T. Ferro Construction Co. to build the intersection and a $136,000 contract with Jacob and Hefner Associates for engineering.

The City Council last week tabled a vote on the contracts until its meeting April 19.