Will County Board begins review of transportation improvement plan

Will County officials have begun reviewing the county’s transportation improvement plan to guide local infrastructure projects.

County Engineer Jeff Ronaldson reviewed the plan with the Public Works & Transportation Committee last week. The plan provides insight and aids in the coordination, planning and design of infrastructure throughout the county, according to a news release.

“Investments in the county’s infrastructure are the main focus of our committee,” member Joe Van Duyne, D-Wilmington, who chairs the committee, said in a statement. “By reviewing the draft document, Will County stakeholders have the chance to see what is on the drawing board and the intended activities for the next five years.”

The review comes soon after the county completed two major studies meant to identify needed infrastructure improvements as the population and industrial sector continues to grow in Will County.

The county completed its intermodal master transportation study in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. This study encompassed potential infrastructure projects around the intermodal facilities in the Joliet and Elwood areas.

The county completed another study with CMAP called Moving Will County, which focused on the importance of improving truck routing in the western portion of the county.

“As a rapidly growing area we must continue to plan proactively and invest taxpayer dollars wisely to create the best future for Will County,” Committee Vice Chair Sherry Newquist, D-Steger, said in a statement.

The Public Works & Transportation Committee will review the draft transportation improvement plan this month and bring it to the full board for approval in June. The five-year improvement plan would go into effect in 2023.