Plainfield officials said last week they could support neighboring Romeoville’s request for a new interchange at Airport Road and Interstate Highway 55, but only if a full interchange at Illinois Highway 126 was built first.
Concerned about the level of traffic that would flow through their village on the Airport Road, which becomes Lockport Street in their town, Plainfield trustees said their first priority would have to be supporting the Illinois 126 interchange to spur development and to alleviate congestion.
“In my estimation we’ve got to have one at Route 126,” said Trustee Jeffrey Dement. “Then again we don’t want to turn our back on Romeoville … but we need to get our first priority done.”
The debate was spurred by Romeoville’s request for a resolution of support from the Will County Board for an access study, which was submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The Will County Public Works Committee will hear a presentation by Romeoville officials on Tuesday.
Romeoville officials have spent two years on a study of the impact and feasibility of building an interchange in order to reduce congestion along 8 miles of Weber Road that runs through the village.
Of the 1,400 accidents that occurred on the village’s 125 miles of roads in 2004, 350 were on a 4-mile stretch on Weber as traffic moves toward the interstate. Two fatalities were recorded last year along that stretch.
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Village Manager Marian Gibson said the study showed an interchange would reduce congestion by 34 percent.
Plainfield officials will meet again Monday to decide whether to formally support the Romeoville measure. If so, they will be asking for stipulations that would create alternate routes through Plainfield, said Village Engineer Eric Gallt.